Can I Drink Collagen During Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a popular health and fitness trend for good reason! In general, intermittent fasting (IF) focuses on when you eat, not what you eat. You can drink collagen during intermittent fasting--however, this article will explain the trade-offs.

The theory on intermittent fasting is straightforward--humans weren't made to eat all day long, reducing calories through fasting will naturally lead to weight loss.

Not only that, but since the body isn't working so hard to digest and process food and sugar, it can refocus its energy to balance and healing.

Furthermore, IF helps control your blood sugar. When your blood sugar levels are steady, your body will be a fat burning machine.

In fact, it will look to use fat within your body for its energy source. 

There are other diets out there that you may have heard of, like the ketogenic diet and paleo diet. They strive to do something similar--eat more protein since it helps keep blood sugar steady and helps you feel full, limit the number of carbohydrates and consume healthy fats like omega 3 fatty acids.

Let's get started and answer if drinking collagen during intermittent fasting is a good decision for you!

How Do You Intermittent Fast?

One thing that's attractive about intermittent fasting is there is no one way to do it. You can adopt an approach that works for you and your body. 

Your take on intermittent fasting will answer if you can have collagen during intermittent fasting.

First, let's take a look at a general definition of 'fast' at Dictionary.com:

1. to abstain from all food.
2. to eat only sparingly or of certain kinds of food, especially as a religious observance.

The first definition means no calories at all during fasting time. Number 2 gives leeway for some calories.

Here's the deal:

While practicing intermittent fasting, you're attempting to keep your blood sugar low and steady--no or very little spikes.

With this in mind, taking in any calories will spike your blood sugar and so will the types of foods or supplements you're eating or drinking.

Taking a hydrolyzed collagen dietary supplement while in the fasting window will add a small number of calories that will not only break the fast but could also increase blood sugar levels.

However, a collagen supplement is normally very low in calories so the spike could be minimal (a glucose monitor is excellent to determine how collagen or bone broth affects your personal insulin sensitivity).

So, can you drink collagen during intermittent fasting? The answer is maybe and depends on if you adopt the first definition of 'fast' or the second. 

Intermittent Fasting Plans

As we mentioned, there are different approaches to intermittent fasting that you can adopt. 

You'll have to see how your body reacts to any of them. Either way, realize it will take an adjustment period to adapt to intermittent fasting.

That's where collagen pills or powder protein can help take off the edge of hunger, possibly not spike your blood sugar too much and help you stay steady on the IF plan you're following.

Here are a couple of the most popular intermittent fasting plans:

5:2 Intermittent Fasting Plan

If you're following The 5:2 Diet, the plan allows for five days of healthy eating and two days of consuming only 500-600 calories each day.

When you're in the two days of consuming a very low number of calories, collagen supplementation can be your best friend!

Actually, you can add collagen powder to your coffee and even some MCT oil, a coconut oil, (check out Bulletproof coffee) and add omega 3 fatty acids which your body loves. (Or add a high-quality collagen creamer to your coffee.)

A hydrolyzed collagen powder supplement is generally low in calories, provides protein to help avoid hunger pains and adds amino acids that can help boost collagen production.

Comforting and satisfying bone broth is another way to consume fewer calories and gain valuable amino acids and collagen to keep your body and your fast humming along.

16:8 and Other Fasting Plans

Other intermittent fasting plans like 16:8 (16-hour fast each day, eg. eat between noon and 8 pm), stop-eat-stop (fast for 24 hours once or twice a week, eat responsibly the other days) and Circadian Rhythm Fasting Approach (only eat when the sun is up).

Clearly, all of these IF plans require zero calories during the fast period.

With this in mind, because there are calories in most collagen powder supplements, these IF approaches would not allow for drinking collagen during the fasting period. (Although you can always choose to modify these zero-calorie fasting plans and allow for some calories.)

Collagen Peptides and Intermittent Fasting

Other Benefits of Drinking Collagen while Intermittent Fasting

As we mentioned above, there are other benefits to drinking collagen powder during intermittent fasting.

You may gain additional benefits like:

As you can see, not only can collagen help you lose weight through intermittent fasting, but it can also be a 'fountain of youth' to enhance your beauty and body.

What About Drinking Bone Broth While Intermittent Fasting?

Bone broth is a comforting, filling drink that has a lot of beneficial amino acids (the building blocks of the collagen protein chain) and some collagen protein.

Nevertheless, bone broth has calories--somewhere around 70-100 calories per serving.

In fact, Dr. Kellyann is known for her popular bone broth fast and bone broth diet, so you might want to check it out here.

If you don't take any calories in during your fast, then bone broth is off the list.

However, if you follow a plan that does allow for some calories, a quality bone broth (whether you make it on your own, buy bone broth powder or ready-made bone broth) can help you keep on track.