So, you go to the store and enter the health supplement section. You stand at entrance of the aisle for a second, take a deep breath and attempt to gather your thoughts, and then say to yourself:

“You know what I can’t do this right now.”

This is what It’s like when you go in without a plan, hundreds of jugs and tubes and pouches of protein with too many ingredients to count.

But it’s okay!!

Choosing one protein supplement doesn’t have to be the end goal. Many active adults use multiple versions of protein, blending whey and collagen together with their favorite fruits and vegetables for a superior protein concoction. One that can boost muscle growth, keep the soreness and inflammation down and keep your body happy and full after any intense workout.

Here’s some information on the two most popular protein supplements to help you get the most out of your daily intake:

What is collagen?

Collagen is the stuff that holds us all together. The tissue and cartilage between our joints, the stuff that keeps our skin tight and gives our muscles and bones a way to move and grow comfortably as we age. The problem is that, the body simply can’t make enough collagen on its own. After 30 our bodies can no longer naturally produce what our skin needs to heal, which is why we see signs of aging such as wrinkles, prolonged joint pan and thinning hair.

Collagen contains 19 amino acids whereas whey contains 20. This doesn’t mean that whey is a better choice, however. While whey has a greater abundance of the 9 essential aminos, it does not contain other primary aminos such as Glycine, Arginine or Proline; which work together to regulate healthy muscle growth, heal injuries and prevent muscle tears.

What is an essential amino acid?

Essential amino acids are substances that the body requires to function properly but cannot do so without consuming the proper nutrients.

Collagen Contains Glycine, Arginine and Proline which become essential to the human body after age 30

COLLAGEN CONTAINS 8 out of 9 ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS PLUS GLYCINE, ARGININE & PROLINE

Sources of collagen:

Bovine collagen is the most common form available, usually found in the hides, connective tissues and bones of animals. Less potent forms of collagen include plant based and marine collagen.

Top quality collagen is sourced from healthy cows, and also supports sustainable farming practices by ensuring farmers can use all of the cow. The best, pure collagen has lower molecular weight and appears white in color. Of the many ingestible forms of collagen Type 1 & 3 collagen are the most useful for skin and muscles, joints and tendons and also have a lower molecular weight.

Benefits of collagen for fitness:

Collagen is ideal for maintaining joint strength and improving mobility. It helps keep bones and joints healthy by building up cartilage and tissue between bones and repairing any damage to tendons and muscles that may occur during exercise.

It can also help keep inflammation down, which plays a huge factor in recovery, injury prevention and mobility.

Collagen's ability to provide injury recovery and pain relief makes it useful for fighting knee pain, shoulder pain and many or the signs of aging involving high impact joints.

Collagen also contains the amino acid glycine which can help muscles grow naturally by aiding in the production of creatine.

Benefits of collagen for weight loss:

Collagen has been found to increase resting metabolic rates and help with weight loss. Keto dieters prefer collagen because the high fat, low carb content of collagen itself makes it a great way to start the natural process of ketosis. Many keto dieters include collagen peptides in their food, and as a motivational tool to help them kick-start their daily weight loss routine. Unlike whey, which is derived from dairy, collagen is considered a keto friendly protein.

What is Whey Protein?

Whey is one of the main proteins in milk. You often see it form at the surface of your yogurt container when it’s been sitting at room temperature. When milk coagulates it leaves behind liquid Whey as residue. So, in simple terms it is a protein rich liquid byproduct of milk.

When cheese-makers discovered that whey was such a valuable source of protein, they stopped discarding it and began processing it into protein powders.

To do so manufacturers spray dry the liquid whey with hot and cold air until it becomes a powder.

This powder is then packaged and mixed with other flavoring such as chocolate or vanilla.

Unlike collagen, whey does not qualify as a dairy free product and does not offer the same benefits for recovery as collagen.

Benefits of whey for fitness

Whey is a complete protein source, meaning that it contains all 9 essential amino acids. This means that the body is able to get all of the essentials it needs to keep healthy. Studies show that whey is a bit faster than collagen when it comes to protein synthesis. However, certain aminos such as glycine arginine and proline become essential as we age and are not abundant in whey protein.

Unlike collagen, whey contains branch-chain amino acids instead of peptide chains. BCAAs are have a direct impact on muscle synthesis and muscle recovery.

Benefits of whey for weight loss:

Whey protein can help increase your metabolism and help you feel full, so you don’t need to eat as much. Additional health benefits include fat burning, increased metabolism and a feeling of fullness or satiation that allows you to consume less food overall. Adding whey protein to your smoothie is a great way to start burning fat and replacing it with lean muscle mass.

 Suggestions for Weight loss.

• Take whey after your workout
• To replace your snacking habit with healthy protein
• Take before bed to help with sleep.

Additional benefits of whey protein

Whey also contains antioxidant enhancers such as cysteine which is essential for every cell in the human body.

Summary: Collagen vs Whey

Whey stronger together

If you are still pondering whether you should try whey or collagen, it’s okay to choose one quality source from each, in fact athletes recommend combining whey with collagen for optimal overall performance. Doing so allows you to get the full benefits of recovery specific to bovine collagen in addition to having a complete amino acid spectrum.

Adding a bit of unflavored collagen to your favorite fruit smoothie or milk shake can help alleviate excessive inflammation and ankle pain, common factors of both cardio and power workouts. Adding more whey can help women build lean muscle, and condition existing muscle fibers to recover from more intense exercise.

We’ve added 12 grams to our unflavored packets which is enough to support muscles and joint recovery. Our ambassadors recommend a 1 to 3 ratio of unflavored collagen to whey. This makes the process of “getting your gains” much faster due to the bioavailable collagen and vitamin C content. For hard core Keto dieters, however, you would want to stick with collagen because whey contains dairy.

Where to buy collagen?

It is important to seek out high-quality hydrolyzed collagen when looking for a good supplement. Women prefer non sugar and non GMO collagen source like Just Bloom Creamers which contain extra vitamin C as well as coconut powder for maximum absorption and utilization of healthy fats. Our products are all dairy free and contain keto friendly ingredients, making them ideal for weight loss. Be sure to consider how much collagen you should take on daily basis to ensure you are getting in the proper daily doses.