Collagen is naturally found in the extracellular matrix of many tissues of the human body, such as the skin, muscles, joint cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.
Its action : giving them resistance and structure.
When collagen production decreases with age, it leads to consequences such as wrinkles, joint pain, or even a loss of bone density.
Collagen dietary supplements are growing in popularity and are designed to slow the appearance of aging signs on the skin and to increase joint comfort.
However, people often wonder what the optimal duration of a collagen course is, whether it’s marine collagen or bovine collagen. To achieve significant results with your supplementation, various factors need to be considered.
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The duration of a collagen course depends on various factors
Brands recommend 1 to 3 months
According to my research, there is no universal duration that suits everyone. The time required for a collagen course to be effective depends on several factors such as:
- The desired objective: Do you want to increase your joint comfort during sports? Improve the appearance of your skin? Prevent general aging?
- Interpersonal differences: Age and the natural level of collagen in the body affect the effectiveness of supplements. The older you get, the more collagen decreases, and the more time it takes for collagen to be beneficial.
Scientific studies are not unanimous on this topic. Their protocols recommend supplementation durations ranging from 8 weeks to 12 or 24 weeks depending on the study. Therefore, we cannot determine a perfect duration for a course.
Generally, collagen supplement brands recommend between 1 to 3 months of treatment to observe the first effects.
When to start a collagen course?
There is no ideal age to start collagen supplementation. You can take it at any time in your life.
However, studies show that collagen loss occurs more or less rapidly depending on individuals, between the ages of 20 and 30, at a rate of 1% per year.
It is therefore unnecessary to take collagen supplements before your twenties.
My advice for an effective collagen course
If the duration before seeing the efficacy of supplements varies from one individual to another, I offer you these few tips to put all the chances on your side:
- Be consistent with your supplementation: take the right dose indicated by the manufacturer and ensure regular intake. If your course lasts three months, remember to take your supplement daily during this period.
- Think about optimizing collagen production: certain nutrients, such as vitamin C, are known to maximize its synthesis. You can also add other useful active ingredients depending on your goal, such as hyaluronic acid for skin beauty or glucosamine for joints.
- Promote a good lifestyle for better results: integrate mobility exercises to take care of your joints, avoid sun exposure to slow down skin aging, sleep properly, limit screen time, learn to manage stress, and stay hydrated.
