What Happens When You Take Collagen and Protein Powder Together

Key Takeaways

• Taking collagen and protein powder together increases your total protein intake, but adding collagen may not enhance protein powder’s benefits.
• Whey protein is more effective than collagen for muscle recovery and maintenance, while collagen may support skin and joint health.
• Avoid overdoing protein supplements, as too much protein may cause problems such as digestive discomfort. Follow the recommended doses and consult a healthcare provider if needed.

Taking collagen and protein powder together can increase your overall protein intake, but it doesn’t necessarily enhance the benefits of each nutrient. While whey protein is effective for muscle growth, collagen supports skin and joint health.

1. You May Get More Protein But No Enhanced Effects

Combining collagen with protein powder boosts your total protein intake. However, since whey protein already offers a full range of essential amino acids , adding collagen doesn’t necessarily enhance its benefits. One small clinical trial studied the effects of whey protein plus collagen peptides . Each bag of the combination contained either:

• 5 grams (g) of whey protein with 10 g of collagen peptides; or
• 20 g of whey protein with 10 g of collagen peptides

When compared to whey protein alone, the combination did not further improve muscle recovery or function among fit males after eccentric strength training exercises.

2. You’ll Get a Wide Breadth of Amino Acids

Whey protein contains a higher amount of essential amino acids per serving. Collagen has more non-essential amino acids (can be produced by the body on its own), such as hydroxylysine and hydroxyproline. Both of these non-essential amino acids uniquely belong to collagen and are rarely seen in other types of protein. Different amino acids can come with a different set of benefits. This may help explain why whey protein is often preferred for muscle building, while collagen has been studied for other potential uses, such as skin and joint health.

3. Whey Protein Helps Support Muscle Growth

A small study investigated the effects of a blend of 25 g of whey protein with 5 g of collagen peptides among young men who took part in recreational exercise. Compared to a placebo, the mixture improved protein synthesis for muscles and connective tissues when the study participants were at rest. During the exercise recovery period, the blend further increased protein synthesis for muscles, but not for connective tissues. Other studies have found whey protein to be more effective than collagen in supporting muscle maintenance in older women.

4. Collagen May Support Joints and Skin

Several studies have evaluated collagen for osteoarthritis (OA) and skin health. According to some research, collagen supplementation may help:

• Reduce wrinkles
• Increase skin elasticity and firmness
• Improve skin hydration
• Improve joint stability, stiffness, and mobility
• Reduce joint pain
• Increase bone strength, density, and mass

However, existing research is limited, and more well-designed human studies are needed to provide conclusive evidence.

Content Differences Between Collagen and Protein Powder

While collagen and protein powder are protein sources, each has its own unique makeup of amino acids and other nutrients.

Content Collagen Whey Protein Calories ​ X Carbohydrates (Carbs) X ​ Lipids (Fats) ​ X Protein X ​ Alanine X ​ Arginine X ​ Aspartic Acid ​ X Cystine -- X Glutamic Acid Variable Variable Glycine X ​ Histidine ​ X Proline X ​ Serine ​ X Tyrosine ​ X Typtophan -- X Isoleucine ​ X Leucine ​ X Lysine ​ X Methionine ​ X Phenylalanine Variable Variable Threonine ​ X Valine ​ X Hydroxyproline X -- Hydroxylysine X -- Essential Amino Acids ​ X Non-essential Amino Acids X ​ X indicates which protein contains more of a specific content; dash (--) means there is no content; Variable means that either collagen or whey protein can contain more of a certain content Is It Safe to Take Them Together? Results from a small clinical trial support protein over the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) to maintain muscle mass among older males. The study supported whey and pea proteins as higher-quality proteins over collagen. However, caution is still necessary. Studies have shown that too much protein may have long-term effects on your microbiota, which are small life forms (e.g., bacteria and yeast) that naturally live on or in your body. Other problems may also include acne and kidney issues. For these reasons, use protein supplementation with care. Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Robberechts R, Poffe C, Ampe N, et al. Partly substituting why for collagen peptide supplementation improves neither indices of muscle damage nor recovery of functional capacity during eccentric exercise training in fit males . Human Kinetics Journals . 2023;34(2):69-78. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2023-0070 Oikawa SY, Kamal MJ, Webb EK, et al. Why protein but not collagen peptides stimulate acute and longer-term muscle protein synthesis with and without resistance exercise in healthy older women: a randomized controlled trial . The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . 2020;111(3):708-718. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqz332 Giglio BM, Schincaglia RM, da Silva AS, et al. Whey protein supplementation compared to collagen increases blood nesfatin concentrations and decreases android fat in overweight women: a randomized double-blind study . Nutrients . 2019;11(9):2051. doi:10.3390/nu11092051. ScienceDirect. Hydroxylysine . ScienceDirect. Hydroxyproline . Aussieker T, Kaiser J, Hermans WJH, et al. Ingestion of a whey plus collagen protein blend increases myofibrillar and muscle connective protein synthesis rates . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2025;57(3):544-554. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003596. Campos LD, Santos Junior VA, Pimentel JD, et al. Collagen supplementation in skin and orthopedic diseases: a review of the literature . Heliyon . 2023;9(4):e14961. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14961. Martínez-Puig D, Costa-Larrión E, Rubio-Rodríguez N, et al. Collagen supplementation for joint health: the link between composition and scientific knowledge . Nutrients . 2023;15(6):1332. doi:10.3390/nu15061332 McKendry J, Lowisz CV, Nanthakumar A, et al. The effects of whey, pea, and collagen protein supplementation beyond the recommended dietary allowance on integrated myofibrillar protein sythetic rates in older males: a randomized controlled trial . The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . 2024;120(1):34-46. doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.05.009 Patel V, Aggarwal K, Dhawan A, et al. Protein supplementation: the double-edged sword . Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) . 2023;37(1):118-126. doi:10.1080/08998280. By Ross Phan, PharmD, BCACP, BCGP, BCPS Ross is a writer for Verywell and has years of experience practicing pharmacy in various settings, which currently include medical writing with a focus on digital health publications and medical communications. She is also a board-certified clinical pharmacist, the founder of Off Script Consults, and director of the PharmacyChecker international verification program. Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Helpful Report an Error Other