What is collagen?
Collagen belongs to the family of proteins known as ‘structural’, like elastin and keratin. Thus, it is made up of a chain of amino acids. It notably contains glycine, proline and alanine.
A major component of bones, muscles, and skin, it ensures maintenance and cohesion of connective tissues.
While it is produced naturally by the body, it can also be obtained through the consumption of collagen-rich foods or by taking dietary supplements.
Read also | How to choose the best collagen?
Collagen is best known as the body’s ‘cement’. But it also plays a role in weight gain.
Like any protein, it is a nutrient in its own right. It provides calories and energy.
Does collagen make you gain weight?
It provides about 4 kcal/gram. Generally, a daily intake of 2.5 to 10 g of collagen is recommended, which represents a maximum of 40 kcal/day.
It will be quickly used by the body to strengthen tissues but also to stimulate metabolism and produce energy.
Thus, its caloric intake is relatively low, provided that the chosen dietary supplement is free of sweeteners and contains no added sugars.
Collagen doesn’t make you gain weight per se. However, it can accompany a high-protein diet and help you gain weight in a healthy way.
How does it contribute to healthy weight gain?
It reduces body fat.
As shown by this study, collagen supplementation helps burn fat.
Thus, consumption of collagen peptides reduced body fat in overweight adults.
And this occurs without reducing caloric intake or increasing physical activity. It notably limits fat storage and regulates the metabolism of lipids.
Collagen is therefore useful for supporting weight gain while promoting the reduction of body fat.
It supports muscle mass.
In addition to acting as a fat burner, it supports so-called ‘lean’ muscle mass. In the context of weight gain, it therefore allows you to gain muscle and not fat.
The type 3 collagen, present in muscles, plays a role in muscle construction and regeneration. As shown by this study, it increases strength and lean mass.
It therefore helps reduce body fat while preserving the integrity of the muscles. That’s why it is often consumed by athletes.
It helps reduce cellulite and stretch marks.
Weight loss or weight gain can be accompanied by cellulite and/or stretch marks, especially if it is rapid. In this case, the skin cells are altered: they lose cohesion, strength and elasticity.
Oral collagen supplementation or topical application of creams improves the appearance of the skin.
In this study, collagen peptides reduced cellulite. They also diminished the ‘orange-peel’ appearance that creates ripples on the skin’s surface, particularly on the thighs.
At the same time, collagen improves skin density, contributes to firmer skin, and provides suppleness and elasticity.
