Collagen Peptides vs Whey Protein: An Epic Battle
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Whether you run triathlons, hit the gym regularly or have a challenging yoga practice, you're working your muscles, cartilage, ligaments and tendons hard. Many athletes and exercisers alike often use a protein shake supplement before or after their workout can help to enhance their body and muscles post exercise. But which is better, collagen protein powder or whey protein intake? In this article, we'll duke it out between collagen peptides vs whey protein so you can decide for yourself.
What Is The Function of Collagen?
The human body is made up of approximately 16% proteins with collagen making up around 30% of those proteins.
Hence, it is the most abundant protein found in your body and is heavily concentrated in the skin.
Scientifically speaking, collagen is a key structural protein within your connective tissues including your skin, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, arteries and bones.
It effectively works as a strong and flexible "glue" that holds and binds cells together.
It also sends out important signals that help repair damaged cells, as well as help reduce inflammation.
How Is Collagen Produced?
The collagen protein in your body is what's s called a triple-helix protein. That means it's long, strong and flexible.
To produce collagen protein, it starts off with a unique combination of the amino acids, glycine, proline and hydroyproline.
Then vitamin C, zinc and copper are required for syntheses of the proteins and molecules to bind together into the complicated collagen structure.
Actually, there are many types of collagen protein, with five of them being most common. These include types i, ii, iii, v and x.
Unfortunately, as you age, starting in your late 20s, it's natural to produce less and less new collagen each year.
Then the significant drop off of new collagen production drops like a rock during and after menopause.
As a consequence of less collagen, your body will show signs of aging.
You'll see wrinkles appearing on your face, sagging skin, hair starts to fall out at faster pace, nails become brittle and joints start to ache--just to name a few of the ways less collagen affects your body.
As well as the clues we mentioned, there are other signs of collagen deficiency. These include arteries collapsing, weak bones, poor eyesight and a cranky gut.
What Are The Benefits Of Collagen?
It's not a surprise that collagen is often called the 'fountain of youth'. Once you start losing collagen protein, it's when the aging starts to appear.
Admittedly, boosting our collagen consumption isn't going to take us back to when we were a teenager.
However, anything we can do to hold off the sometimes severe effects of aging is worth it.
Here are the ways increasing collagen in your body can help retain your beauty and vitality as the years pass b :
What Are Collagen Peptides?
Collagen peptides, which are also known as hydrolyzed collagen and collagen hydrolysate, are created by breaking down the molecular bonds between collagen strands to leave small peptides of amino acids.
This process uses water and is called hydrolysis--hence, the term hydrolyzed collagen.
Collagen peptides serve as the bio available form of collagen, which means they are highly digestible and easily absorbed into your body.
Where do these collagen strands come from originally, before hydrolyzation?
They are sourced from cows (bovine collagen), chicken or from fish (marine collagen).
Even though collagen powder protein in supplements come from animals and fish, they are generally tasteless. That means they can easily mixed with liquids and added to foods.
Because collagen supplementation is so popular today, you can easily get collagen in many different forms such as powder (flavored and unflavored), pills and drinks.
Also, another collagen beef protein source (and lots of other amino acids) is bone broth. Bone broth is made from the bones and joints of animals like bovine and chicken sources.
If you are vegan or vegetarian, these animal based collagen sources aren't going to work for you! Learn about how you can still get collagen boosting plant based protein.
Is Collagen a Complete Protein?
When people say collagen is an incomplete protein, they are correct. Even so, it doesn't make it an unimportant component in our bodies.
So we're clear, since proteins are made from amino acids, let's define what complete and incomplete proteins are:
A 'complete protein' has all nine of the essential amino acids (meaning they can't be made by the body and have to come from food): histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.
An 'incomplete protein' does not have all of the nine essential amino acids. Collagen is known as an incomplete protein as it's missing one of the essential amino acids--tryptophan is the missing amino acid.
(The collagen protein is a unique sequence and composition of 19 different amino acids and has a high content of hydroxyproline, glycine and proline.)
For the most part, if you eat a healthy diet, you'll receive complete and incomplete proteins each day. Thus, it's not necessary to track each type specifically.
All the same, this is one of the main differences in the discussion collagen peptides vs whey protein--collagen is incomplete and whey is complete.
Any Side Effects of Collagen Powder?
Although collagen is considered to be generally safe, there are some potential downsides you'll want to consider.
First, collagen supplements can generally be made from fish, shellfish and eggs. If you have any allergies, make sure you read the labels carefully so as to avoid an allergic reaction.
Second, some users of collagen supplements report a bad taste in their mouth, a feeling of fullness or heartburn.
Finally, if you are a vegan or vegetarian, be mindful of sourcing of the collagen you are buying. For example, collagen from bovine sources means the collagen protein is sourced from cows.
What is Whey Protein?
Whey protein powder comes from dairy.
You know that liquid that sits on top of yogurt when you open the container?
Well, that's whey. It's the byproduct of curdled milk and what is strained when cheese is made.
Whey protein is the most common protein powder used today.
In fact, you probably see the most whey protein products offered at, and chugged by, weight-lifting enthusiasts at the gym.
The Benefits Of Whey Protein
So why is whey protein so popular among the gym-going or exercise enthusiasts? Here are the main reasons:
Any Downsides of Whey Protein?
First, there is a small amount of lactose in whey protein. If you are sensitive to dairy, whey protein can cause the same problems for you as drinking cow's milk.
Second, whey protein doesn't taste good, it has a bitter taste.
Therefore, manufacturers add natural and artificial sugars to make it more drinkable.
With this in mind, read labels carefully to make sure the ingredients in the formula won't undo all the work you've done at the gym.
In the argument between collagen peptides vs whey protein, taste and ingredients are crucial in deciding which is best for you.
Finally, some people can experience these side effects from whey: headache, loss of appetite, fatigue, swelling, cramps and increased bowel movements.
Collagen Peptides vs Whey Protein
In this epic battle between the two proteins, clearly collagen comes out slightly ahead. These are the reasons why:
- 1More Satisfying: A 2009 study showed having collagen peptides vs whey protein for breakfast led to less eating at lunch.
- 2Benefits the whole body: Collagen is in every part of your body, therefore, a collagen supplement can provide head-to-toe benefits. In other words, you can get 'more bang for your buck' with collagen.
- 3Taste: During hydrolysis, all flavor is taken out of the collagen. In fact, collagen is also easy to add to foods since it has no taste. Alternatively, , powdered whey supplements have a bitter taste naturally so manufacturers add other ingredients (think added sugar for example) so people will use it.
Can I Mix Collagen With Whey Protein?
You may ask at this point: What if I mixed collagen and whey together? Wouldn't I get the best of both worlds?
In fact, there's no reason to not use both within your daily routine, together or separate. For example, you could use collagen in food and whey as a shake.
Also, you could also combine both into one drink, for example.
In any case, we recommend consulting with your physician before starting any new supplement. Especially if you have allergies.
We also suggest when you start with any new supplement, your body might appreciate a slow start and work up to the recommended serving/dosage.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON COLLAGEN PEPTIDES VS WHEY PROTEIN
With the explosion of collagen protein onto the fitness and health scene, it brings up the debate: collagen peptides vs whey protein?
Even though both have their advantages and downsides, we believe collagen comes out ahead in the battle.
Collagen benefits your body in more and valuable ways than whey--collagen benefits your body head-to-toe.
There is no taste to collagen, so it can easily be mixed with liquids and added to food. With this in mind, additional sweeteners are not needed.
Collagen is more filling than whey and helps with weight loss and management.
Finally, if you like the thought of a complete protein, why not combine both collagen and whey into one supplement? There are no known downsides and you get the best of both worlds.