Myprotein Collagen Protein: Better Skin and Joint Health at a Better Price

Collagen is taking over the supplement aisle of your local grocery store by storm. While collagen exists as an industry staple going back years — it’s recent popularity is likely connected to skincare and beauty brands taking collagen promotion to the next level. We can’t really knock those companies for pushing collagen so hard, as it appears to live up to the hype.

Myprotein, one of the most trusted major international names in protein (if not the most trusted), now has a new form of protein — dairy-free collagen protein!

As a company with capital to spend on an exciting venture, it is not surprising that Myprotein joined the skincare protein-fray. We recently introduced Myprotein to the PricePlow audience in our article on The Amino Energy, and did a YouTube review on their S’mores flavor of Impact Whey (also posted to IGTV).

The international leaders in protein take on collagen protein

Myprotein’s a diverse international brand, highly trusted in over 70 countries, and as you can tell, they were founded on protein. So when there’s something hot in their backyard, you know their core consumers want to get it from them, due to the impeccable quality they’ve delivered over the years.

Myprotein’s Collagen Protein is a no-thrills product that delivers a hydrolyzed high-dose bovine collagen per serving all while remaining friendly to low-carb (or dairy-free) diets. It’s also one of the most affordable collagen products on the market, something we noticed with The Amino Energy. If you go unflavored, the collagen makes up the entire product! Now you may be asking — is collagen worth taking?

Let’s get into the science, but first be sure to sign up for our Myprotein alerts as we’ll be hitting up some giveaways and they always bring us some fantastic deals.

A suitable replacement for those who don’t eat meat off the bone

It doesn’t get much simpler than this! Note that this is from the unflavored version.

Before getting into the specifics, let’s start generally. Across nearly every healthy culture, one of the four foundations that most individuals abide by is eating meat off of the bone. We postulate that eating meat in this manner provides several nutrients and amino acids, one of which is collagen.

Unfortunately, in Western culture, we’ve stopped eating like this as much. From shifting to foods such as boneless, skinless chicken breasts and burgers to simply curbing red meat consumption in general, we are not getting much dietary collagen in anymore. And if you aren’t willing to regularly eat those skin and bone-meat, then supplementation may be another great way to get it in.

The data certainly backs up its use:

The Science Behind Collagen

Bovine collagen is likely the gold standard in terms of collagen supplementation. While there are four very common types of collagen found in nature — bovine collagen is particularly rich in types 1 and 3.

• Type 1 collagen is by far the most populous protein in any vertebrae and is typically found as “mechanical scaffolding” within skin, bone, the eye, and everything in between.^[1]
• 

  The collagen helps hold it all together – support collagen and support your connective tissues! Image courtesy NIH.

  Type 3 collagen typically accompanies type 1 collagen but tends to be more populous within reticular cells within the connective tissue of the liver, bone marrow, and lymphatic system.^[2]

On to the specific benefits and studies:

• Joint Benefits

  The main selling point of collagen supplementation may be its joint health benefits, and that’s why many PricePlow readers (who are oftentimes athletes) like it. Collagen supplementation appears to promote joint recovery by helping with the reconstruction of the meshwork keeping joints together. Those that battle joint conditions like osteoporosis, chronic knee pain, or something as simple as an over-use joint condition may benefit from collagen supplementation.

  One study in 2012 focused on lower back pain — specifically pain within the lumbar spine. This investigation found that adults over 50 receiving collagen supplementation for 6 months experienced significantly less joint pain than the placebo group.^[3] The best part is that the study only used a 1.2g dose. Myprotein is giving you 20g per serving!

  Works for healthy athletes and seniors

  

  Collagen Improves the Perception of Joint Pain when walking^[4]

  And before you ask, the answer is yes, this finding is replicated in healthy young athletes.^[4] Such athletes reported enhanced recovery after a stressful event and decreases in recovery time.^[4] Admittedly, collagen for joint pain is a “new sensation” and may need more fleshing out to recommend it as a staple joint-pain supplement.

• Aesthetic Benefits

  Collagen appears to help combat the deleterious effects of aging on the skin and nails. Due to the massive amount of collagen present in those three structures, it makes sense that providing the body with more collagen may help the body retain these collagen-supported structures. The science backs up this assumption. A double-blind investigation in 2014 demonstrates that 2.5g-5g of collagen supplementation within a middle-aged population dramatically improves skin elasticity. In this study, the improved skin elasticity maintained 4 weeks after cessation of supplementation — which implies that collagen may help you long-term.

  Like it or not, people judge one another for hair and nail health (there is an evolutionary reason for this, as hair especially shows a potential mate’s long-term health). Those with asymmetric or malformed nails may be accused of poor personal hygiene — so this is important for those seeking to maximize their looks.^[5] Recent papers demonstrate that collagen peptide supplementation, for the months, significantly improves nail length while reducing the chance of breaking a nail.^[6] Men of the PricePlow nation, listen up — if this doesn’t jump out as the best subtle way to get your girlfriend into supplement science, we don’t know what else to show you!

• Cardiovascular Health

  Collagen is densely populated throughout the body. It is even found within the heart. In a rather surprising finding, an article in 2017 demonstrates that collagen use may combat the formation of atherosclerosis via improved cardiovascular health markers. A dose of 16g a day for 6 months improved the HDL-cholesterol ratio of participants.^[7] HDL scavenges the circulatory system for “loose” cholesterol and drops it back off at the liver — less cholesterol at vessel beds means less chance for the pathogenic storm of atherosclerosis to occur in the case that the cholesterol gets oxidized from inflammatory processes.^[8]

  We often see HDL as a “good health report card”, and anything that helps increase it naturally is always of high interest.

Flavors and Macronutrients

Myproteins’s collagen protein comes in an unflavored variant or a chocolate flavor. Do note that collagen supplements are notorious for odd aftertastes. The label may confuse consumers — as it advertises 18g of dietary protein but 20g of bovine collagen. The discrepancy is not a typo — it’s honest marketing.

Collagen itself does not have a “complete amino acid profile”^[9] — Myprotein even recommends combining servings with BCAA for true exercise recovery. Particularly, collagen lacks substantial amounts of “muscle protein trigger” amino acids like leucine. In other words, the “downsides” of collagen protein are annihilated if you combine collagen with a complete dietary protein source.

Below is an up-to-date list of variations available from Myprotein:

Conclusion

Myprotein is here on PricePlow, and they do a whole lot more than just whey protein!

Myprotein’s Collagen Protein offering is tough to beat. It’s a straight to the point, hydrolyzed, and affordable product that delivers higher doses than most of its competition. While there are other types of collagen out there, most collagen protein supplements are just like this… only more expensive and from brands without nearly the track record of Myprotein.

While this supplement may not be necessary in the perfect world of eating plenty of off-the-bone-meat and skin like our ancestors very likely did, most of us aren’t doing this anymore. And for that reason, it’s a wonderful thing to supplement – living up to the exact definition of the world.

Because of all of these factors – the research, the cost, the historical importance, and the trust we have in Myprotein – it’s tough not to recommend Myprotein’s Collagen Protein as an every-day collagen supplement for general longevity, recovery, joint support, and skin health.