The Benefits of Collagen, EAAs & Glutamine
What is the best collagen supplement? What does l-glutamine actually do? What are EAAs? EAAs vs BCAAs?
It seems like there is a new supplement being marketed to us every 5 minutes that promises to be the answer to weight loss, or the one thing that will reduce our bloating and even reverse aging. The truth is, there is no one (or trio) of supplements that will do these things, but these three supplements can support us in our journey to accomplishing these things. I look at supplements like something that can complement a high quality diet of mostly whole foods for targeted results. They can help to fill in the nutritional gaps and give you an extra edge or an added boost in times when your body needs extra support.
And I don’t know about you, but since the age of 35, I have found that my body needs more support. And I have found the same for my clients. The demands from an advancing career, kids and aging parents, while dealing with a shift in our hormones, increases our nutritional needs. But there is a lot of confusion around supplements. So I wanted to give you a complete guide to all things amino acid supplements. For full transparency, I am in no way affiliated with companies that sell these products. These are 3 supplements I personally take regularly to support my body composition, my gut and to reduce the effects of aging, both internally and externally. Let’s dive in!
EAAs (Essential Amino Acids)
What are EAAs?
As a nutrition coach who works primarily with women aged 30 or older, who are struggling with low energy, weight gain, digestive issues and stress, I strongly feel that we underrate the importance of protein. And while I feel it’s important that the foundation of our diet be whole foods that we enjoy, I recommend all women 35 and older consider adding in a high quality essential amino acid supplement.
If we want to prime our metabolism, lose fat and build muscle, we need to prioritze protein. And eating protein is not just about looking good in a bathing suit; if we want to have the energy and resilience to get through our busy days and be able to properly digest our food, we need to eat adequate protein. Many of my clients start to consider their health needs after witnessing their aging parents and family members struggle with their health. If we want to have a quality life as we age, to be independent and function optimally, we need to eat enough protein. But this can be challenging, especially as our needs increase.
What is an optimal amount of protein?
I am referring to enough protein, from the right sources, to grow muscle. Because this will best serve our body in terms of health and aging. We want enough of certain amino acids in the right amounts to trigger muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth).
Because a proper amount of muscle mass is foundational for a body that feels good, functions well and looks healthy. Read more about how muscle impacts our metabolism, blood sugar and ability to lose fat, hormonal balance and immune function here.
What are the best protein sources for muscle gain?
Multiple studies have proven that we need all 9 essential amino acids to trigger muscle protein synthesis. For this reason, for a protein source to be considered ‘high quality’ in my books, it must contain the 9 essential amino acids. This is why animal protein is a superior source of protein compared to plant sources when it comes to muscle and overall body protein synthesis; all animal protein sources contain all 9 essential amino acids, in right amounts to trigger muscle growth, and plant proteins do not. For this reason, if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you will need to become familiar with complementary proteins and definitely consider supplementing with EAAs. EAAs contain only the 9 essential amino acids.
What are EAAs good for?
Supplementing with EAAs can make it easier to get adequate protein, in the right amounts, to optimize muscle maintenance and growth. EAAs have 2-3 times the impact as other high quality protein sources. This means if you are a woman who is older than 35, 10g of EAAs is the equivalent to 30g of protein from a whey protein powder or chicken breast!
Supplementing with EAAs, in addition to eating a diet with adequate quality protein, has been shown to:
Help build lean muscle
Improve exercise performance and recovery
Reduce muscle loss post-surgery
Prevent muscle breakdown from exercise and while eating in a caloric deficit
Should I take EAAs Daily?
If you fit into one of the below categories, I do recommend considering supplementing with EAAs daily.
Adults aged 30 and older, especially women in perimenopause and postmenopausal women
We can start to lose as much as 3-8% of muscle mass per decade starting at the age of 30. And for women in perimenopause and menopause muscle loss becomes even more precipitous; we can lose up to 20% of muscle mass by the time we are through perimenopause and into our postmenopausal years.
Over the age of 40 and for women in perimenopause, you become less sensitive to the effects of amino acids, meaning it becomes harder to trigger muscle protein synthesis. This is part of the reason it becomes more difficult to maintain muscle as we age. Supplementing with EAAs is an easy and effective way to ensure you are getting the right amount and balance of amino acids to give yourself every opportunity to maintain and grow muscle when it becomes more of a challenge.
Aging adults, anyone under chronic stress or with digestive issues
As we age, especially for women, it becomes harder for our body to break down protein to get the amino acids out of it. This is because we produce less stomach acid as we age, and we need enough stomach acid to digest our food and break down protein. And women in perimenopause and menopause get hit extra hard with this, as a result of decreasing progesterone and estrogen.
Also, with chronic stress our digestive process is compromised. This is because our resources are taken from prioritizing digestion, to being in a state ready for fight or flight. This is also why you may notice more bloating, constipation or acid reflux when you’re in phases of higher stress.
So how do EAAs fit into this? While animal proteins are more digestible than plant proteins, they still require digestion. And if our digestive process is in any way compromised, we will absorb fewer nutrients, including amino acids. EAAs are immediately digested, meaning they are absorbed into your bloodstream and become immediately available for muscle protein synthesis without requiring digestion.
Anyone who practices intermittent fasting or meal spacing for blood sugar balance, motility and proper digestion
When we eat 30g or more of high quality protein, or take an EAAs supplement, it triggers muscle protein synthesis which lasts for around 3 hours. After 3 hours, your body will start breaking down existing protein in the body to maintain homeostasis (as a part of protein turnover - link). This means you want to trigger muscle protein synthesis by consuming 30g or more of protein every 3 hours if you want to prevent muscle loss or optimize muscle growth; however, eating every 3 hours is not ideal for blood sugar balance or your digestion. But because EAAs bypass digestion, you can consume them without a negative impact on blood sugar or digestion, making them a great add-in for anyone who wants to give their digestion a break while preventing muscle loss. And if you practice intermittent fasting, taking EAAs before bed and in the morning can support the extended period of fasting overnight. Check the ingredient label to ensure your EAAs supplement does not contain additives/fillers that would impact blood sugar or digestion.
Anyone who is injured or recovering and cannot exercise
If you are injured or recovering post-surgery, supplementing with EAAs has been shown to be effective for maintaining muscle mass. In addition to this, adequate amino acids is important for the healing process and to support a fast and full recovery.
Anyone dieting (ie. eating in a caloric deficit or in a fat loss phase)
If we want to lose fat, we must eat in a caloric deficit, meaning we consume fewer calories than we burn. When we reduce our calories aggressively, our need for protein actually increases in order to prevent our body from burning amino acids for fuel. But we also need fiber and fats as part of a healthy and sustainable diet so it can become tricky to consume adequate protein from food alone. Since EAAs are more effective at stimulating muscle growth, adding in this supplement can make a huge impact on maintaining muscle through a fat loss phase.
EAAs vs BCAAS
Amino acids are one of the most researched supplements; we even have data involving women! This is rare given research studies often avoid using women as test subjects due to hormonal fluctuations. While EAAs contain the 9 essential amino acids, BCAAs contain only 3; leucine, isoleucine and valine. It was originally thought that because these 3 amino acids play a large role in muscle protein synthesis, you would trigger muscle growth by isolating them in a supplement. It has since been shown, in many research studies , that BCAAs do not stimulate muscle protein synthesis in the absence of the other essential amino acids. This makes BCAAs a great supplement to complement a protein-rich meal or support a vegetarian meal, but not as a stand-alone supplement to support muscle growth.
What to look for in an EAAs supplement?
A high quality supplement will list the amino acids and amount of each one. Check that it does contain all 9. You want a higher leucine and lysine content. Always read the ingredient label and check for fillers and additives; you want the fewest ingredients.
The best time to take EAAs
We do not want to replace our whole food sources of protein, rather have a high quality EAAs supplement in addition to your whole food diet. The experts recommend having between 5g-15g per day to maximize the benefits of EAAs.
To optimize your lifting workout, take EAAs before your workout. This will stimulate more muscle protein synthesis than just strength training alone. You can also take them during and afterwards. I personally take mine before training on days I do workout, and on my rest days, I take them during larger stretches between meals to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
L-Glutamine
Glutamine benefits, for gut health and beyond!
Did you know that our intestinal lining covers more than 4000 square feet of surface area? And when it’s working properly, it maximizes digestion & nutrient absorption. It controls what gets absorbed into the bloodstream (aka into our body) by forming a tight barrier.
And yes, the contents of our digestive tract (the tube that runs from our mouth to the anus) is actually outside of our body. So when this tight barrier becomes weak & develops ‘holes’, it not only impairs nutrient absorption but things can then enter our body that should not. This includes partially digested food, toxins & pathogens.
What happens next?
With a leaky gut, we can see the following issues:
-Nutrient deficiencies
-Inflammation
-IBS, gut imbalance and SIBO
-Allergies and food sensitivities
-Autoimmune conditions including IBD
-Propensity towards weight gain and obesity & more
Research has shown that gut permeability (aka leaky gut) increases as women transition through menopause. Other factors that contribute to a leaky gut include chronic stress, a diet that is low in fiber and high in refined sugar and fat, eating foods we are sensitive to, alcohol, dysbiosis (imbalance of beneficial and harmful bacteria), NSAIDs and other medications, as well as exposure to mold.
To address a leaky gut we need to work on the root cause, but in some cases, we cannot avoid these things. Enter l-glutamine. This is one of my favourite supplements for both supporting the gut and our immune health.
What is l-glutamine?
Glutamine is an essential amino acid that is needed for the repair and growth of our intestinal lining. It is anti-inflammatory, helps to strengthen and protect our gut lining, is one of our immune system’s main fuel sources, is a precursor to our neurotransmitters and can help with post-workout recovery.
L-glutamine powder
Glutamine is both obtained by food and created by our muscles, but I recommend considering incorporating a high quality l-glutamine supplement if you suspect you are dealing with a leaky gut or want extra support in one of the areas mentioned above. And to increase your natural production of glutamine, consume an adequate amount of animal sourced protein which contains the precursors for glutamine, and will support muscle growth and maintenance , win-win!
Collagen
Collagen is a protein that contains amino acids that work specifically to improve our skin, gut lining, hair and nails. Collagen supplements are becoming more and more popular, but are they worth it? What are the benefits of supplementing with collagen? And what is the best collagen for you?
What are the benefits of taking collagen?
Collagen help us to counteract the effects of aging:
Boosts skin elasticity and hydration
Helps keep our skin from sagging
Reduces the appearance of wrinkles, cellulite and stretch marks
Improves our nail and hair growth and health
Soothes and repairs the gut lining which is incredible for those who suffer from leaky gut and autoimmune disease
Increases bone mineral density
Helps to maintain joint mobility and reduce pain
Promotes cardiovascular health
What is collagen?
Collagen is found in our connective tissues, and helps to provide structure to our cartilage, bones, tendon, skin and gut, and it is a major component of our hair and nails. Collagen makes up 25-30% of our protein, making it the most abundant protein in our bodies. It contains 19 out of the 20 amino acids, which makes collagen an incomplete protein and therefore not ideal for muscle protein synthesis, but it is very beneficial for so many other aspects of our health. Collagen contains a high amount of 3 distinct amino acids; glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. This powerhouse trio is what helps our body to repair our connective tissue and it’s only found in collagen. Here are just a few ways they work for us:
Proline and glycine help to rebuild tissue that lines our digestive tract. Given so many people experience symptoms common with a leaky gut like bloating, constipation, allergies, food sensitivities and autoimmune disease, this can benefit most of us.
Proline supports our cardiovascular system by protecting and strengthening the artery walls.
Glycine helps to form creatine which is important for cognitive function, powering our training and muscle growth. It also helps to protect our liver from the toxins it regularly processes. It has been shown to improve immune health, sleep and help to regulate our blood sugar.
What causes collagen loss?
Aging
Sunlight, a diet high in sugar and smoking all damage our collagen fibers
A diet low in the amino acids and other cofactors needed to make collagen, like vitamin C and zinc
Digestive issues impacting the absorption of nutrients
What age do we start losing collagen? What are the signs of collagen loss?
Our collagen production starts to slow in our mid- to late-20s. We naturally start making less collagen as we age and our ability to replenish it decreases by ~1-1.5% per year. As we lose estrogen through menopause, our body produces even less collagen which is one of the reasons we see wrinkles start to multiply in our 40s-50s. Our bones and blood vessels can become weaker, cartilage can start to wear out and we can lose mobility and function in our muscles. Other signs of collagen loss include less elastic ‘looser’ skin, more fine lines and stiff joints.
Foods Rich in Collagen
There are only 4 truly collagen-rich foods:
Bone broth
Certain organ meats including liver, heart, tongue, kidneys and brain
Cartilage, skin, bone and joint material from meat
Eggs
These foods are broken down via enzymatic hydrolysis in our gut after eating them. Whereas collagen peptides, which we find in collagen supplements, is simply collagen broken down via hydrolysis in the manufacturing process to make it easy to consume and absorb. Both food sources and hydrolyzed collagen peptide supplements are easy to digest, absorb and use.
Should I take a collagen supplement? What kind of collagen should I take?
Due to our decreasing ability to produce collagen, factors that impact collagen loss plus the limited collagen-rich foods, yes, I do recommend taking a collagen supplement each day. Especially if you want to see an improvement in your skin, nails, hair, joints, digestion and mobility.
Which kind should you take? This can get confusing when you’re faced with 30 different bottles at the health food store, but don’t worry, I am here to provide some clarity so you can make the best choice for your needs.
First off, collagen peptides, collagen hydrolysate and hydrolyzed collagen are all the same product. The difference is in the type of collagen in the product.
What are the best types of collagen?
That depends on your individual needs! 28 different types of collagen have been identified within our body. And 5 types we can typically find in collagen supplements; 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 (I, II, III, V & X). We use different types for different things. So when it comes to picking a supplement, you want to consider your goals. Most on the market will contain type 1 and 3, and is sourced from bovine. A multi collagen supplement should have all 5 types since it’ll be sourced from bovine, fish, chicken and eggshell.
Type 1 Collagen:
Is the most abundant protein in our body and is particularly important for our skin, bones and connective tissue. It’s also found in our tendons, blood vessels, corneas and gastrointestinal tract. This is the one to support skin health and elasticity, since it’s a building block of our skin. Supplements with type 1 will be bovine or fish; marine collagen can be more bioavailable due to its smaller particle size. Eggshell membrane contains types 1 and 10.
Type 2 Collagen:
Since it’s abundant in the cartilage that protects our joints, this type is critical for joint health. It can help to prevent age-associated joint pain or various arthritis symptoms. Supplements with type 2 will typically be in the form of chicken bone broth powder.
Type 3 Collagen:
Second most abundant type of collagen in the body. Makes up our organs and skin. Often found with Type 1 collagen and helps give skin its elasticity and firmness. It has a role in wound healing and healthy blood clotting. Type 3 supplements will typically be bovine.
Type 5 Collagen:
In the surface our cells, corneas, and found in our hair and the tissue of the placenta placentas. Sourced from eggshell membrane in supplements.
Type 10 Collagen:
Found in bones and joints and important for their health. Supplements will be eggshell or chicken.
How much collagen should I take in a day?
For women aged 35-55, supplementing daily with 2.5-5 grams of collagen hydrolysate has been shown to improve skin elasticity and hydration.
There is no RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for collagen, but general recommendations are around 10-20 grams per day to get the most benefit. Ideally, purchase a high quality collagen powder and stick to the recommended serving. When consuming collagen, you can benefit from also consuming vitamin C to ensure your body can convert the collagen into a usable protein.
Please note, that since collagen is not a complete protein, I recommend having this in addition to your 30g of a high quality protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth) which supports our health and quality of life as we age.
How to use collagen powder?
For the broth-flavoured collagens, simply add to hot water and sip or use as the liquid for cooking grains like rice and oats.
For unflavoured collagen, here are a some creative ways to use it:
Add to coffee
Add it to smoothies
Make Lazy Girl Protein Hot Chocolate (link),
Add to overnight oats, oatmeal, chia pudding or yogurt
Add it into baked goods or protein pancakes
Mix it in with nut or seed butter
How can I increase collagen production naturally?
Increase dietary intake of Vitamin C: Our body needs adequate Vitamin C to synthesize collagen; this means we wouldn’t be able to produce the collagen we need without it! Foods rich in Vitamin C include bell peppers, citrus fruit and strawberries. It is hard to get enough Vitamin C from our food with today’s farming practices, so you may want to consider taking a high quality supplement.
Topical application of Vitamin C in serums and moisturizers can help to increase collagen synthesis acutely as well. Once of my favourite safe and clean Vitamin C serum is Beautycounter’s All Bright C Serum.
Red light therapy: The mitochondria in our cells produce energy. Red and near infrared wavelengths of light stimulate the mitochondria in our cells, which then take light, oxygen and nutrients and turn them into usable energy for our bodies. This increased energy allows our bodies to create more collagen naturally.
More Resources
Want to learn more about amino acids and how to support healthy aging, fat loss and weight management? Check out the following resources!
Best Protein Foods and Timing for Weight Loss and Health
