Collagen isn’t just a beauty supplement. In fact, there are numerous liquid collagen benefits for athletes – both in your performance, and in your daily life.
But what are the benefits of liquid collagen?
In this article, we will discuss all the liquid collagen benefits you can achieve by using a regular daily collagen supplement, so you can see if this powerful protein is something you want to add to your workout regimen.
Before we dive into all the incredible liquid collagen benefits, let’s make sure you understand what liquid collagen is.
What is liquid collagen?
Liquid collagen is simply collagen protein in a liquid form. This is opposed to it being a protein powder or a pill.
Liquid collagen benefits from its versatility. You don’t need to mix it with anything to take it. So say goodbye to tumblers full of clumpy protein shakes. Liquid collagen is completely mess- and fuss-free. Just open up a single-serve packet and toss it straight back when needed.
Types of liquid collagen
Liquid collagen comes in many forms. You may see labels with “Type I” or “Type III” collagen with all sorts of claims. But you don’t have to get bogged down with collagen types.
Actually, as long as you have a bioavailable form of collagen, your body can break it down into amino acids and turn it into whatever type of collagen it needs.
What makes collagen bioavailable? Well, you want to look for a label that says “hydrolyzed collagen” or “collagen peptides.” This is collagen that has gone through a chemical process that breaks the molecules down into easy-to-digest pieces.
As long as you have a high-quality supplement that is hydrolyzed (or better yet, nano-hydrolyzed), you should be able to make use of all the liquid collagen benefits.
So what are the benefits of liquid collagen? Let’s dive into the top reasons you should consider collagen as a daily supplement.
11 incredible liquid collagen benefits
Remember, when reviewing liquid collagen benefits of any kind, that not all collagen supplements will provide the same results. These benefits are variable according to the quality of the collagen source, the absorption rate, and the credibility of the supplement company.
Here are our favorite liquid collagen benefits for your body:
1. Collagen may boost muscle mass
Collagen is a protein, and just like any protein supplement, liquid collagen can help you grow more muscle mass. In fact, collagen peptides are some of the best peptides for muscle growth!
Collagen protein also helps to reinforce your joints, so you can lift heavier and go longer, which will help you make more gains in a shorter period of time.
2. Collagen may improve endurance
Collagen contains the amino acid glycine, which plays a role in the synthesis of creatine in the body. Creatine is a compound involved in energy production during high-intensity exercise, such as sprinting or weightlifting.
By promoting creatine synthesis, collagen may indirectly support energy production during intense workouts, potentially improving athletic endurance and performance.
3. Collagen may shorten recovery times
If you’re trying to speed up your post-workout recovery, collagen can help. One of the many liquid collagen benefits is that it can help your muscles to bounce back faster after a difficult workout.
Collagen protein directly supports muscle repair and gives your body the building blocks it needs to get back into the gym or onto the field as soon as possible.
4. Collagen may reduce cellulite
While reducing cellulite may not be a necessary thing to do, it is often seen as one of the top liquid collagen benefits for women. The reason why collagen may reduce cellulite is because of how many collagen proteins are needed to support young, healthy skin elasticity.
Collagen has long been used in the medical field to help rebuild cellular protein structures. And, as you may already know, your natural collagen production starts declining by your mid-20s.
When you consistently take a high-quality, easily absorbable collagen supplement you are providing your body with the necessary amino acids it needs to construct new collagen proteins.
The more collagen your body can make, the more it has to distribute to non-essential areas, like your skin. This can allow your body to repair and restructure your dermal layers.
5. Collagen may improve skin health
Collagen is well known for the potential it has to help with anti-aging. Much like we discussed with cellulite, the thought behind this is that collagen may improve skin elasticity.
As you age and your natural collagen production decreases, your skin loses elasticity because the collagen your body does produce is sent to other places like your vital organs. When your skin starts to lose elasticity, that’s when you start to see wrinkles and lines appearing.
In addition, some studies have found that liquid collagen benefits may include improved skin hydration and overall skin cell recovery when ingested orally.
That’s good news for Frog Fuel customers! Not only is our liquid collagen great for workouts, but it may help you look younger too.
6. Collagen may help with weight loss and management
One of the liquid collagen benefits that is not talked about often enough is that collagen may help you manage or lose weight.
There are three main reasons why collagen might help with weight loss:
- collagen may help to increase your body’s metabolic rate,
- collagen may increase fat burn, and
- collagen may keep you fuller longer.
Although collagen may boost your metabolism, it is not solely a liquid collagen benefit. It is a benefit of consuming protein in general.
Protein consumption may boost your metabolism because it takes more energy for your body to break down proteins than it does fats or carbohydrates. The thermic effect of food (TEF) of protein tends to be much higher than that of fats and carbs. In fact, it is usually around 25-30%.
So, if you consume 100 calories of protein, you will potentially burn around 30 calories just by eating it.
Energy for building and maintaining muscle is produced by burning calories. As you build more muscle with a high-protein diet, your metabolic rate often increases, and maintaining a healthy weight becomes easier.
Weight management is one thing, but what about weight loss?
Many people who struggle to lose weight often hold it in one area of their body: their belly.
Much like maintaining a healthy metabolism, having more muscle will help you lose belly fat. Once you’ve gotten to the point where you have a healthy fat-to-muscle ratio, then maintaining that muscle mass is important so you do not once again gain belly fat.
To help preserve your muscle mass, eating enough protein, specifically high-quality collagen protein may help.
Protein also helps you feel satiated longer, even if you consume fewer calories of it. Keep in mind that these should be complete protein foods. That’s why if you are on a high-protein diet, you likely feel fuller faster and for a longer period of time.
Not all collagen supplements are complete proteins, because collagen in the whole form is not a complete protein. That’s why Frog Fuel is fortified with the missing amino acids to make it a complete protein supplement.
7. Collagen may improve hair and nail health
Your body uses collagen for a lot of different things. In fact, collagen makes up 30% of your body's protein. Since it is used so widely throughout your body, including in your nails, then it may not be a surprise that an increased intake of collagen will help prevent brittle nails.
How can it help with hair health though?
Your hair is held in place via hair follicles in your skin. When these hair follicles are too brittle or loose, your hair has a much harder time staying in place and getting the nutrients it needs from your body.
The distribution of amino acids that comes from introducing a collagen supplement to your diet can not only maintain hair follicle structure and strengthen hair roots, but it may also help build keratin.
Keratin is one of the primary proteins used to help your hair grow and stay strong. Since some of the amino acids within a collagen protein supplement are also found in keratin, when you ingest collagen, your body will send those amino acids where they are needed most.
8. Collagen may improve your digestion
It seems like collagen is everywhere in our bodies, and that’s because it is! Collagen proteins make up 90% of your connective tissues, which is why one of the liquid collagen benefits is that it may improve your digestive health.
Digestive health issues are common no matter your gender, making this one of the many collagen benefits for men and women.
While you may be familiar with the easy digestion of Frog Fuel liquid collagen protein, there’s more to it than simply being easy on your stomach when compared to other protein supplements.
One of the predominantly studied aspects of collagen and digestive health is in relation to leaky gut syndrome.
Having a leaky gut is what it sounds like: it means that your stomach and intestinal lining are “leaking.” This happens when the lining can no longer retain the necessary structure to help pass toxins, and they begin to be absorbed instead.
Since collagen may help build up your soft tissue structure and increase overall connective tissue elasticity, it can help rebuild and maintain the structure of your intestinal and stomach walls.
9. Collagen may help with wound healing
If you’re an athlete who has suffered an injury of any kind, then you may be familiar with the liquid collagen benefits for healing. Beyond sports injuries, collagen is sometimes used in post-surgery recovery to help patients heal from wounds more quickly.
When you have an injury of any kind, your body primarily uses collagen protein molecules to repair cells, multiply cells, and produce natural healing enzymes. This is why collagen is one of the most popular muscle repair supplements after injury.
Since collagen is the most abundant protein in your body used to build up all connective tissues from cartilage, skin, tendons, and muscles, you can see why it could help with wound healing.
10. Collagen may reduce arthritis symptoms
Collagen is a key player in your overall joint health. As an athlete, your joints are extremely important to your overall performance, so avoiding early signs of arthritis or arthritis in general is a great investment.
There are several other joint conditions that may be impacted by the use of a daily collagen supplement, but we will focus on arthritis here as it tends to be one of the most common.
The main reason why those who have arthritis tend to suffer from a lot of pain is because of inflammation. One of the best liquid collagen benefits is that collagen may reduce some inflammation around your joints. This can help with already existing arthritis symptoms.
In general, the best collagen for joints may help to promote healthy cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. As you continue to take collagen supplements, your body has more amino acids to delegate towards joint health and recovery.
11. Collagen may help with injury prevention
Because collagen is so instrumental in your joint health, it can help with sports injury prevention. Giving your tendons and ligaments ample stores of collagen makes them stronger and more flexible, and less prone to tearing or snapping under pressure.
Sports injuries are the bane of every athlete’s existence, so if a simple daily supplement could help, why wouldn’t you take it?
Get the most out of liquid collagen benefits
Not all collagen supplements are created equal. In order to fully reap your liquid collagen benefits, it’s important to use a hydrolyzed or nano-hydrolyzed collagen supplement.
The benefits of hydrolyzed collagen outweigh those of collagen protein in the whole form because hydrolyzed collagen has been broken down into pieces that are much more easily absorbed by your stomach lining.
When you consume collagen protein in its whole form, your body cannot absorb most of the protein, and you miss out on a lot of the amazing liquid collagen benefits.
That’s why Frog Fuel uses nano-hydrolyzed collagen protein, so you can get the most out of your supplement.
FAQs about liquid collagen
Are there any side effects of liquid collagen?
Side effects of liquid collagen are generally minimal, since collagen is something your body already makes naturally.
If you take more than the recommended amount of liquid collagen, you may experience some digestive discomfort.
It is also possible for allergic reactions to occur in some individuals, since collagen is derived from animal products. If you are allergic to shellfish, make sure your supplement is sourced from bovine collagen.
Is it safe to take liquid collagen daily?
Yes, taking liquid collagen daily is generally safe for most people. However, you should vet supplements thoroughly since most are not FDA-regulated. You should also make sure to follow the dosage instructions on the packaging.
How long does liquid collagen take to work?
How long it takes liquid collagen to work depends on which liquid collagen benefits you are hoping for. If you are looking to improve skin elasticity, it may only take a few weeks. If you are looking to improve joint pain, it may take up to 90 days.
Consistent daily intake and following recommended usage instructions can optimize results.
Does liquid collagen really work?
Absolutely! There are many benefits of liquid collagen for your body, and as long as you find a high-quality, hydrolyzed supplement for regular supplementation, you should be able to make use of all the liquid collagen benefits, both in and out of your workouts.