Does collagen count towards my protein goals?
The #1 supplement question we get asked:
should I track my collagen as a protein source?
Youβre diligently hitting your protein targets, scooping collagen into your coffee, and then you pauseβwait, does this count?
Did you see someone on TikTok say itβs incomplete and a waste of protein, yet a different influencer says itβs essential for joints, skin, and nails?
Let's clear it up once and for all.
what is collagen?
Collagen is a type of protein found in connective tissuesβthink skin, bones, tendons, and cartilage, and has been shown to have potential benefits to joint and skin health.
Proteins are made up of amino acidsβsome of which your body must get from food (these are called essential amino acids).
A complete protein contains all nine essential amino acids in sufficient amounts. Collagen is not one of thoseβbecause it lacks one of the nine essential amino acids.
Even though collagen isnβt a complete protein, itβs still a protein. You just might not want to rely on it as a primary protein source if youβre trying to build muscle.
incomplete proteins are everywhere
If you zoom out, youβll notice that plenty of foods in your food log are incomplete proteins.
Think: that Banza chickpea pasta, your veggie-heavy stir-fry, or even your beloved Daveβs Killer Bread.
Itβs not uncommon for 10β20% of your total daily protein to come from these incomplete sources. Soβ¦ are we tossing those grams out too? Probably not.
Each of these incomplete proteins often comes with a different amino acid profile.
For example, both rice and beans are incomplete proteins, but complementary in nature, so that when eaten in the same day, they provide a complete amino acid profile.
whatβs in your food log?
For example, hereβs a top protein source report from a food log in Cronometer (everything after the animal sources for the day):
There are 17.1g of protein from incomplete sources included in hitting the daily protein target. Thatβs a lot that we donβt just want to ignore!
Hereβs what we recommend:
Aim to get your minimum protein requirement from high-quality, complete sources like meat, eggs, dairy, and soy products.
After that, itβs totally fine if another 10β20% of your protein intake comes from incomplete sources.
If youβre using large servings of collagen (>15-20g) primarily to meet your protein goals, try swapping that out for whey or a complete plant protein first, especially if your main goal is to build muscle.
At the end of the day, when you eat enough protein daily, your body pools amino acids and makes what it needs so the combination of all sources provides optimal balanceβthis is precisely how vegans and vegetarians make it work, too.
Not sure how much protein to target every day?
Before you even worry about whether collagen counts as a protein source in your diet, you probably should make sure you know how much protein your body needs.
Setting protein minimums is the first primary goal we set for most of our clients who are trying to improve their nutrition.
A general goal to start with when setting a protein minimum target is to aim for 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight. However, depending on our current body composition, we may need to adjust that target.
Setting protein minimums for each individual may involve several factors, so click the button below for our full education on how to set your protein minimums we share with our clients!
