Collagen loading is gaining popularity among professional athletes and cutting edge doctors of functional medicine. So what’s all the hype about? Well, more than 90% of your hair, skin, nails, gut lining, ligaments, tendons, bones and discs are made up of collagen. It turns out, it’s some pretty important stuff. Approximately 99% of people were almost bankrupt in terms of getting collagen from their diet.
I suggested they do a “collagen loading” program. Various interests—gut, joints, digestive health, etc and when people start building up their collagen levels…it makes a difference for them. People start seeing the benefits of healthy gut support, joint support, hair support, and nail support and more—often in a way they don’t anticipate!
What is Collagen?
Collagen is a protein that is a main building block of your skin, hair, muscles, cartilage, and ligaments. As we age, we naturally start losing skin elasticity, bone density, muscle mass and of course, hair loss becomes a problem. Collagen, being a naturally-produced nutrient in our body starts to decline after the age of 25. As collagen production declines, fine lines become apparent, our hair starts to fall, and our bones weaken.
Collagen loading is when you increase your collagen levels over a short period of time. All you need to do is multiply your daily collagen intake through supplements. So, the goal is getting 2-3 times the serving of collagen supplements into your daily routine for 2 – 3 weeks.
You can go the natural route and include more collagen-boosting foods into your diet such as chicken, fish, bone broth, citrus fruits, and leafy greens. However, you won’t be able to get the amount your body needs through food alone.
Collagen is an insoluble protein, and the main structural component of numerous bodily parts, including skin, cartilage, and connective tissues. The importance of collagen lies not only in its structural role, but also in its abundance, as it accounts for one-third of the total amount of protein in the human body. While there are different types of collagen, the most prominent is Type 1 (90% of the entire collagen amount in the body), largely present in skin, tendons, bones, and internal organs. As we’ve already mentioned, this protein is manufactured in the body, and it consists of chains of amino acids.
With decreased levels of collagen, our skin becomes dull, lackluster, and wrinkly, as collagen is the component responsible for its elasticity and firmness. One of the main underlying causes of skin aging is a lack of collagen protein in the skin, leading to skin dryness due to lack of moisture and hydration. Collagen is often recommended for patients suffering from joint disorders, as it has been found to ease the unpleasant symptoms and reduce joint pain. Increased collagen levels have also been associated with improved bone mass and structure, a study on the role of collagen in bone health suggests.
If you’re looking to improve your lean muscle mass, collagen supplementation may be your best ally on this journey. Not only does 1-10% of all muscle mass consist of collagen, but it has been recognized as a necessary nutrient for the normal functioning of all muscles. Furthermore, a randomized controlled trial including 27 frail participants showed a significant increase in muscle mass and strength in individuals who supplemented with collagen products, in combination with resistance training. What’s more, collagen deficiency also affects cardiovascular health, as collagen is one of the main factors in the structure of arteries distributing blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
Because collagen fibrils are gram-for-gram stronger than steel, it is hard to imagine anything destroying this abundant protein. However, faced with our inevitable aging process and the limited capacity of collagen production, our natural collagen levels are jeopardized. To make matters worse, decreased collagen production isn’t the only threat to our collagen supplies.
According to Medical News Today, collagen is influenced by poor lifestyle choices and environmental factors, including sugar consumption, smoking, excessive sun exposure, genetic changes, as well as autoimmune disorders. Overall pollution negatively affects every aspect of health, and collagen levels are no exception. Charged chemical particles known as free radicals appear to destroy collagen cells through oxidative destruction.
AQ: All Your Collagen Loading Questions Answered
Q. What is collagen loading exactly?
Did you know that 99% of people are actually deficient in collagen? Collagen deficiency means that your body lacks the most important protein many vital bodily functions and processes depend on. Therefore, in order to manage and/or prevent collagen deficiency, boosting collagen levels is necessary.
And in order for this to be achieved in a short timeframe, and as efficiently as possible, collagen loading was introduced to the wellness world.
There are many collagen-boosting foods to pick from, including bone broth, animal skin, and cartilage. However, even if you were a fan of animal bone brew, the amount of collagen in these foods would not suffice for your daily needs. All-natural collagen supplementation contains a large dose of pure, highly soluble, bioavailable protein. It is easy to use, and even easier to implement into your daily menu, so obtaining your daily collagen dose will no longer be a hassle.
By “collagen loading”, you’re increasing your collagen levels over a short period of time.
To “collagen load”, what you need to do is multiply your daily intake of collagen by way of supplementation. For instance, instead of one serving, you might take three servings per day of Organic Grass Fed Collagen for the next 2-3 weeks. Collagen loading represents a substantial boost to collagen levels, and it is a great strategy whenever you’re in need of any of collagen’s beneficial effects.
Q. How to do collagen loading?
Collagen Loading Method
While it is certainly recommended to include more collagen-boosting foods (bone broth, animal skin, animal cartilage, chicken, fish and shellfish, egg whites, citrus fruits, leafy greens), the most effective way would be to include a hydrolyzed bovine collagen supplement into your daily nutrition.
The objective of collagen loading is to obtain as much protein as possible as quickly as possible, which requires a highly bioavailable source that is easily absorbed by the body. Hydrolyzed collagen is broken into short chains of peptides that are easily digested and utilized. For collagen loading, you should increase your daily intake of collagen supplements (3 servings a day) for 2-3 weeks.
Q. Is collagen loading safe?
Absolutely! While it is safe to increase your collagen intake, the recommended dose is completely individual, and it also depends upon the collagen itself. For example, collagen from marine sources is known to be up to 150% more bioavailable than collagen from bovine sources. Although both varieties are safe and effective, your dietary preferences may determine which one you use and therefore, how much you load.
Free Range Organic Grass Fed Collagen is THE most bioavailable Collagen supplement on the market, meaning LESS does MORE.
Q. Does collagen loading work?
The best proof of whether or not collagen loading is effective or not is to consider before and after results. As we’ve already mentioned, supplementing with collagen powder is the most straightforward way to get more collagen into your body, due to its high bioavailability and ease-of-use in our daily nutrition. By promoting collagen levels, your body is also getting the numerous benefits of collagen, including strong connective tissues, healthy skin, flexible joints, hair growth, stronger nails, and optimized cardiovascular health, among others
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Q. Why try collagen loading with collagen peptides for my workouts?
By increasing collagen levels, you’re getting specific benefits that will enhance your active lifestyle, whether as a recreationalist or at a competitive level. First and foremost, collagen is necessary for joint health, as well as ligaments, bones, and muscles. As we’ve mentioned previously, supplementing with collagen has also been associated with lean muscle building, better flexibility, and improved muscle strength.
Collagen for Flexibility and Muscle Strength
Collagen not only helps to make the body strong, it also allows it to recover properly after grueling workouts, particularly in that hour window after exercise where post-workout nutrition is key.
Collagen’s amino acid profile also contains glycine, which promotes sleepiness and quality of sleep, another important element of the recovery process. Finally, your collagen-infused pre- or post-workout smoothie could also help you in your weight loss process, as protein is low-calorie and highly satiating. Many users report that the extra kick of protein after a workout helps them to feel fuller for longer and snack less between meals.
Summary
If your goal is to boost collagen levels for optimal performance and recovery, then collagen loading with a premium collagen peptides supplement might be the perfect fit for your daily nutritional needs.
-Collagen is the main structural bodily protein, accounting for 1/3 of your body’s protein
-Collagen deficiency may lead to brittle bones, skin issues, and joint pain
-Collagen promotes lean muscle, while strengthening blood arteries
-Collagen loading is a an efficient way to raise collagen levels in the body
-Collagen loading is achieved by increasing your collagen supplement dose over 2-3 weeks
Benefits of collagen loading for workouts include: increased muscle strength, flexibility, and lean muscle building
