- Researchers have studied collagen before exercise and in schedules that include both before and after.
- There is no established best workout timing for everyone.
- Regular use features in longer-term studies. Choose a moment that is easy to repeat.
You made it to class with time to stretch and remembered your water bottle. Does your collagen need a calendar reminder, too?
If you’ve wondered whether collagen belongs before or after a workout, the useful answer is less complicated than the online advice makes it sound. Both show up in research. Neither has earned the title of best time for everyone. Here’s what is worth knowing—and how to make it work in a real day.
Why Before a Workout Gets Attention
A small 2017 study gave eight men vitamin C-enriched gelatin before short bouts of jumping rope. The 15g gelatin condition increased a blood marker associated with collagen production. [1]
That helps explain the interest in taking collagen before movement. But the study used gelatin, not a ready-to-drink collagen water, and did not compare before with after. It is a useful clue about how nutrition and exercise may work together, rather than a rule for when to open your can.
And After a Workout
After exercise is a natural moment to pause, eat and enjoy a drink. It also appears in research: one 12-week running study used daily collagen peptides split between before and after training. The collagen group improved its running-test distance more than the placebo group. [2]
Because participants used both timings, that result cannot tell us which was responsible. It does tell us that the research picture is broader than one perfect pre-workout window.
Give Consistency a Place in the Plan
A 2024 review brought together 19 studies of collagen peptides and physical training. Much of that research followed regular intake over several weeks. [3] That is a more useful starting point for an everyday routine than watching the minute hand.
Timing may still matter in specific training or rehabilitation settings, and research is continuing. For an everyday habit, choose a moment you can comfortably repeat. If you’re following an individual plan from a sports dietitian or clinician, follow their timing guidance.
Find Your Collagen Moment
- Morning workout? Put a can in the fridge for when you get home.
- Evening class? Make collagen part of lunch, so it already has a place in your day.
- Rest day? Keep the same familiar occasion instead of reinventing the routine.
These are ways to make the habit easier, not competing claims about the best time. Pick the one that fits your life—and a flavor you’ll want to come back to.
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Liquid Youth makes the practical part easy: a chilled can, a favorite flavor and collagen already mixed in. Enjoy it with lunch, after class or during the afternoon break you finally remembered to take.
- 11g of grass-fed bovine collagen peptides per can, providing 10g of protein.
- Zero sugar, plus 4g of fiber and 50mcg of biotin.
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FAQs
Should I take collagen before or after a workout?
There is no established winner for everyone. Research has used different schedules, so choose a convenient routine unless you have specific professional guidance. [1–3]
What is the best time to take collagen on rest days?
The studies above do not identify a best hour on rest days. Keeping your usual occasion is a simple way to maintain the routine.
What if I forget to drink it straight after exercise?
The research discussed here does not establish a narrow post-workout deadline. Return to your usual routine rather than treating the timing as something you got wrong.
Is morning better than evening?
These exercise studies do not directly answer that question. A pre-workout study is not evidence that mornings work better than nights.
References
- Shaw et al. (2017). Vitamin C-enriched gelatin before activity and collagen synthesis.
- Jerger et al. (2023). Collagen peptides with concurrent training and running performance.
- Bischof et al. (2024). Collagen peptides with long-term physical training: systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Liquid Youth product details.
The studies discussed used specific collagen preparations and did not test Liquid Youth. Results vary by formulation, population and training program.
