Both creatine and collagen are safe supplements when taken in isolation, and there’s no current evidence to suggest that it’s harmful to take creatine and collagen together.
In this article, we look at the benefits of creatine and collagen and see if there are any further benefits of mixing these 2 compounds.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is a natural organic acid that’s made in the body to help provide energy to cells, particularly muscle cells.
It’s naturally found in red meat and fish, and some people take creatine supplements to improve their performance.
Benefits of Creatine
Creatine Helps Increase Muscle Mass
A review of creatine supplementation concluded that creatine increases muscle hypertrophy (i.e. muscle growth) in all healthy young populations.
Some of the studies even showed that creatine increases muscle growth in untrained populations, suggesting that creatine was the direct cause of increased muscle mass.
Creatine Improves Athletic Performance
There are lots of studies which demonstrate creatine’s ability to improve physical performance.
In one of these studies, 8 ice-hockey players supplemented with creatine and 8 ice-hockey players took a placebo.
The results showed that those who took creatine had significantly more power in their sprinting.
Creatine Helps Prevent Fatigue
Another physical benefit of creatine is that it can help reduce muscular fatigue.
For example, in one study, 15 people took either a placebo or 20g of creatine per day for 5 days before performing a cycle test.
Interestingly, those who took creatine had delayed onset of fatigue during the test.
Creatine Improves Cognitive Function
One of the lesser-known benefits of creatine is its ability to improve mental function.
In a study of older people, creatine improved the subjects’ memory and recall ability.
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It provides structure, support and strength to your skin, bones, muscles and connective tissues.
Lots of people supplement with collagen to add more collagen to their diet.
Benefits of Collagen
Collagen Improves Joint Health
If you hit the gym regularly, then joint health (and maintaining your joints) is super important.
A review of the research into collagen supplementation found that collagen supplements help promote bone and joint health in people with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
Collagen Increases Muscle Mass
Like creatine, some research shows that collagen can help increase muscle mass too.
In one study, 53 male subjects took 15g of collagen or a placebo pill each day for 12 weeks, alongside an exercise program.
At the end of the study, those who took the collagen supplements showed a significant increase in muscle mass and strength compared to the placebo subjects.
Collagen May Reduce LDL Cholesterol
Using collagen supplements might actually improve your cardiovascular system.
A study of 30 people had all the subjects take 16g of collagen for 6 months.
The results showed that their LDL/HDL ratio was significantly reduced, which suggests an improvement in heart health.
The study was limited, however, as none of the subjects took a placebo for comparison.
Collagen Improves Skin Health
Many people believe that taking collagen can help improve skin health.
There is some evidence to back these claims up.
In one study, women took either a collagen supplement or a placebo for 8 weeks. By the end of the study, those who took collagen had higher moisture and elasticity levels in their skin.
Are There Any Benefits of Taking Creatine And Collagen Together?
As there are currently no studies, it’s unclear whether taking creatine and collagen together provides further benefits than taking them individually.
When Is The Best Time To Take Creatine And Collagen Together?
Research shows that creatine is best taken after your workout for maximizing muscle and strength gains.
If you take these creatine and collagen supplements purely for muscle gain, then you should take them together after exercising for optimal results.
Conclusion
While there’s no evidence that it’s harmful taking creatine and collagen together, there’s also no evidence to suggest that it’s beneficial.
That being said, both creatine and collagen can provide benefits when taken individually.
That’s all for this article, but can you take citrulline and creatine together? Or what about taking creatine and multivitamin together?
Hope this helped!
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8949037/#B14-nutrients-14-01255
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10573659/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18039377/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17828627/
https://www.scielo.br/j/rbgg/a/fk95TfhxB7mPsmqYRDdHH8K/?format=pdf&lang=en
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4594048/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5429168/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5429168/
I’ve been in the fitness and strength training industry for nearly a decade. In that time, I’ve gained 30 pounds of muscle, written hundreds of articles, and reviewed dozens of fitness supplements. As for my educational background, I’m a currently studying for my Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training.