Does Collagen Break a Fast?

So, you just learned that starting in early adulthood the body’s collagen production slows down by 1% per year, prompting you to consider taking collagen supplements. Moreover, you also heard about the benefits intermittent fasting offers, which led you to a question: Can you take collagen during fasting? And, does collagen break a fast?

Whether you want to prevent wrinkles or reduce joint pain, here we will tell you whether or not collagen breaks a fast. Do you have to choose between younger-looking skin and improved overall health? Let’s find out.

What Is Collagen?

Collagen represents 30% of the body’s protein, making it the most abundant protein in the human body. Collagen is the “glue” that supports the structure of skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments. Collagen is made up of amino acids and plays an imperative role in boosting various body processes, such as:

improve joint function and bone strength
promote wound healing and gut health
preserve muscle mass and skin elasticity

Collagen is quite prominent in our body, for both structure and functioning. Taking collagen powder or collagen peptides daily is a great practice to enhance your health and maintain it.

What Counts as Breaking a Fast?

You break a fast when you ingest foods or drinks that stimulate a metabolic response. Remember, fasting occurs when the body recurs to stored fat for energy when there isn’t food intake. Therefore, consuming foods or beverages that trigger a metabolic response will halt your body’s fasting state. Download the Fastic app and take the quiz to discover which fasting regimen is best for your health goals.

Eating or drinking calories, carbohydrates, proteins, or anything that initiates an insulin secretion or a digestive process will disrupt the body’s physiological fasting state. Fortunately, certain drinks won’t interrupt your body’s fasting state. Black coffee, herbal teas, and even lemon water won’t break a fast, making these beverages excellent for combating hunger pangs during fasting hours.

Does Collagen Break a Fast?

Collagen powder can break a fast, as can collagen peptides. Although their composition differs, they contain amino acids. Amino acids are protein's basic units and can initiate a metabolic response. Some experts suggest not consuming collagen during fasting periods to ensure fasting results. Nonetheless, you can still take collagen powder or peptides during eating windows.

Adding collagen to black coffee will most likely break a fast. To put it into perspective, a tablespoon of collagen peptide contains about 50 calories, and a cup of black coffee (8-ounce serving) contains about 2 calories.

The whole point of fasting is to not ingest any calories, therefore, combining two sources of such is not recommended. Important to note that the amount of calories in a collagen powder and peptides can vary depending on the brand and formulation.

When Should You Take Collagen While Intermittent Fasting?

You can take collagen powder or collagen peptides at any point during your eating hours. However, you must aim for collagen supplements with the following characteristics:

low in calories
unsweetened
unflavored

Can You Take Collagen While Working Out and Fasting?

You can take collagen supplements also during workouts and muscle-building while fasting. A study performed in elderly individuals showed that combining resistance training with specific collagen peptides led to greater improvements in body composition and muscle strength compared to resistance training alone. This means that engaging in exercise and taking collagen, can potentially enhance muscle and body structure.

A 2019 systematic review determined that oral collagen supplementation can also promote wound healing, skin aging, elasticity, hydration, and collagen density. It is crucial to mention that you should consult with a healthcare professional for better guidance according to your specific health background.

How Can the Body Obtain Collagen Naturally?

Besides taking collagen powder and peptides, you can also promote collagen production by eating foods that contain the raw ingredients for collagen synthesis. The body cannot absorb collagen in its whole form, therefore eating foods that contain amino acids for collagen formation is vital.

The following are foods that contain amino acids:

bone broth (beef, chicken, or fish bones)
protein-rich foods (beef, chicken, eggs, and beans)
proline (mushrooms, egg whites, peanuts, and asparagus)
glycine (turkey, red meats, granola, and chicken and pork skin)
vitamin C foods (citrus fruits, bell peppers, potatoes, and leafy, green vegetables)
Zinc and Copper foods (red meat, oysters, pork, milk products, shellfish, nuts, dark chocolate, and whole grains)

Complementing collagen powder and peptides with collagen-synthesizing foods promotes improved health and boosts energy levels during fasting.

Take Collagen and Fast Safely

Taking collagen during fasting does not break a fast as long as it is taken during eating windows. Keep track of your collagen consumption with the Fastic app to efficiently schedule your collagen doses within your fasting schedule. Attain fasting benefits without sacrificing collagen’s perks.

Disclaimer: It is advised to speak with a health professional before beginning intermittent fasting or a diet program. There may be side effects for people with certain medical conditions.