Did you know that collagen is the most abundant protein in your body It’s true! Collagen makes up about one-third of your body’s protein composition.
On the other side, creatine is known as the supplement that helps you gain muscle with training. It is synthesized from amino acids and stored in your muscles, where it's used for energy during high-intensity, short-duration exercises. Think about activities like sprinting or lifting weights.
Both supplements are very popular in the wellness and fitness worlds, and for good reason, but they often get confused. While both are important, they serve very different purposes.
Today, we want to compare collagen vs creatine. We'll look at the unique benefits and applications of each.
If you've ever wondered which supplement you should take, and if it makes sense for you to take either of them, this guide will help you get a better idea of what's right for you.
Table of content
What is Collagen?
Collagen is often referred to as the glue that holds our bodies together. It is the most plentiful protein in your body. It accounts for about a third of its protein composition. When it comes to supplements, there are several types of collagen available, which are sourced primarily from bovine (cow), marine (fish), chicken, and eggshell membranes. These supplements can come in various forms – including powders, capsules, and liquids.
What is Creatine and What Are Creatine's Benefits?
Creatine is a substance that’s naturally found in muscle cells. It helps your muscles produce energy during heavy lifting or high-intensity exercise. Interestingly, about 95% of the body's creatine is stored in muscles in the form of phosphocreatine. The remaining 5% is found in your brain, kidneys, and liver.
Creatine supplements are popular among athletes and bodybuilders because of their unique ability to improve high-intensity exercise performance. Here’s how it supports muscular function: by increasing the phosphocreatine stores in your muscles, the body is able to produce more of a high-energy molecule called ATP. ATP is often called the body's energy currency — when you have more ATP, your body can perform better during exercise.
Benefits of Creatine for Energy and Muscle Growth
1. Increased Muscle Mass
Creatine is effective for both short-term and long-term muscle growth. It assists in muscle fiber growth by signaling key biological pathways and improving gym performance.
2. Enhanced Strength and Power
Creatine improves strength, ballistic power, and sprint ability. It also helps with resistance to fatigue, which means you can achieve a higher volume of work in a single training session.
3. Accelerated Muscle Recovery
Creatine assists recovery following exhaustive exercise. This improves muscle recovery rates. A common misconception is that creatine is only for athletes, but this is not the case. It can benefit younger as well as older adults by reducing the decline in muscle mass and strength that comes with aging. It's a great supplement if you're even remotely active, and it is very well studied, making it a valuable addition to your routine.
Collagen vs Creatine for Fitness Goals
Both creatine and collagen are staples in the supplement world, but each plays a different role in supporting various aspects of fitness and health. This means that, depending on your fitness goals, you'll get more benefits from either collagen or creatine.
Think about what you're trying to achieve. Do you want to maximize muscle growth? Enhance recovery? Or simply improve your overall well-being? Once you know your goals, you can look at which supplements will give you the most benefits.
What’s the Difference Between Creatine and Collagen?
Creatine is known for boosting muscle strength and volume when combined with training. It does this by enhancing water retention in muscle cells and increasing your energy during high-intensity training. This leads to more significant muscle gains, and you'll perform better.
Collagen, on the other hand, supports the connective tissues that bind muscles and joints.
When Should You Choose Collagen Over Creatine, and Vice Versa?
Creatine is ideal for athletes and individuals interested in fitness who want to maximize their immediate physical performance and muscle mass. It'll help you look bigger, lift more weights, and give you quick bursts of energy for activities like sprinting or powerlifting.
Collagen, on the other hand, is best for anyone prioritizing a healthy lifestyle. As you may have noticed, there's no such thing as one better supplement — it depends on your goals. Often times, supplementing with both creatine and collagen can be a great choice.
How to Optimize Your Supplement Routine?
When you choose the right supplement and effectively integrate it into your fitness regimen, you can enhance your training results and overall healthy lifestyle. As we discussed, each supplement has its own use.
How to Effectively Use Collagen and Creatine?
Collagen is ideal for daily consumption. You can take it anytime. You can mix your collagen powder into smoothies, coffee, water, or milk — it's completely up to you how you prefer to take it.
For maximum effectiveness, creatine should be taken after you work out. This can enhance its impact on muscle energy and recovery. You can mix creatine with water or a shake, and it's especially effective when combined with a carbohydrate source to help with absorption, so more creatine reaches your muscles.
How to Choose the Right Supplement for Your Goals?
If your primary goal is to increase strength and muscle mass, creatine should be your go-to supplement due to its direct impact on muscle energy metabolism and growth. For those focused on an overall healthy lifestyle collagen is more appropriate.
For those looking to cover all bases, combining collagen and creatine can be beneficial. Make sure that your daily intake aligns with your specific needs – and you can always adjust as your fitness level changes or as you age.
The Best Collagen and Creatine Supplements from Purely Inspired
Of course, you'll want to choose high-quality supplements. Purely Inspired has a choice that is formulated with both collagen and creatine.
Collagen + Creatine
Our Collagen + Creatine supplement blends both creatine and collagen. The flavor of this supplement is watermelon strawberry, so you can bet that it’s enjoyable to drink.
Why choose between collagen and creatine when you can get the best of both worlds in a combined supplement?
Collagen Peptides
Our Collagen Peptides are sourced from grass-fed and pasture-raised cows. It provides 18g of protein per serving.
Both of these supplements from Purely Inspired are designed to support your overall wellness and fitness goals in a practical and enjoyable way. No matter if you're looking to push harder in the gym or simply improve your general wellness, these supplements can be a great addition to your daily routine.
You can mix them into water, milk, or even add them to your morning coffee — it's up to you. When you trust Purely Inspired, you'll know you're getting all of what creatine and collagen have to offer
Collagen vs Creatine: Find What Works Best for You
When you're choosing between collagen and creatine, first of all, think about what your body needs most. Both supplements have their place in a healthy routine, and there is nothing stopping you from taking both supplements at the same time. In fact, we recommend this for anyone who wants both collagen and creatine.
It doesn't have to be collagen vs creatine – it can be collagen and creatine, like in our collagen + creatine supplement.
Our tip: listen to what your body is telling you. In the end, consistency matters, but so does listening to what your body needs.
And of course, choosing a good supplement is just one part of taking care of yourself. You'll also want to eat well, stay active, and get enough rest. All of this will contribute to better recovery and healthier skin, joints, and muscles.
When you take care of yourself, you'll feel better, have more energy, a brighter mood, and increased performance in the gym. So take care of yourself and supplement with what you want.
