Collagen is a protein spiral that forms a net throughout your entire body. It’s what makes your skin elastic, your joints flexible and your bones strong. Unfortunately, for most of us collagen health peaks around the age of 20 then starts to degrade, leading to the development of wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin, hair loss, bone loss, arthritis, and more.
How Collagen Works in the Human Body
Collagen is in a constant cycle of creation and destruction in the human body. The body has cells that destroy collagen and other cells that create new collagen. Healthy collagen depends on this cycle continuing in order to keep the collagen “fresh”. When your body destroys collagen, it can be repurposed to make new collagen as part of this cycle.
So an optimal anti-aging strategy focuses on two factors:
- Stimulate the natural collagen cycle – It’s inexpensive and safe to stimulate your own collagen cycle without surgery or injections.
- Protect existing collagen from the environment – Environmental damage worsens the collagen destruction cycle, so protecting it matters.
First, let’s go over some ways you can increase collagen production:
1. At Least 8 Hours of Sleep Every Night
You’ve likely heard of “beauty sleep.” Studies have found a connection between sleep and the production of human growth hormone (HGH). Because HGH stimulates collagen production in muscles and tendons, sleep is necessary for the body to repair, rebuild, and refresh each night.
2. Gelatin Bone Broths
Your diet is essential to collagen production. A real bone broth where you allow beef bones, joints and skin to simmer for 8+ hours will release collagen from the bones and other tissues. The heat and water break them down into gelatin that your body can easily absorb. This bone broth is great for restoring collagen throughout your body. As a bonus, the gelatin also feeds the healthy probiotics in your gut!
3. Heavy Weightlifting and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Like sleep, exercise stimulates the production of HGH and new collagen. To maximize HGH production in the gym, focus on:
- Weight training – Emphasize large muscle groups and compound exercises such as bench press, squats, rows, and deadlifts. Women who do weight-bearing exercise have a lower risk of osteoporosis because they’re boosting bone collagen in the gym.
- HIIT – Instead of long steady-state cardio, do ~15 minutes: 90 seconds high intensity followed by 60 seconds low intensity, repeated.
4. Water Fasting (or Intermittent Fasting)
One of the best ways to stimulate the cycle of collagen is to do a water-only fast for 18 hours or more. Stop eating and keep yourself hydrated by drinking only water (for example, RO-filtered water with added minerals). During the fast, your body will go into a state called “autophagy” (“self-eating”) and it will break down proteins, including collagen. When you end your fast with a full, healthy meal, your body goes into an intense collagen regrowth phase. Studies show that after a fast there’s increased stem cell activity, higher HGH levels, and increased collagen production—rebuilding newer, healthier collagen.
5. Red Light & Infrared Therapy
Cutting-edge research is showing that red LED light therapy and infrared light therapy increase collagen production in the skin and joints.
Red LED light therapy – Red light of a particular wavelength creates healing benefits for the skin, which can increase collagen production, reduce acne or other imperfections, and even treat scars and stretch marks. It stimulates fibroblasts to produce collagen while decreasing the enzymes that break it down.
Infrared light therapy – Infrared penetrates deeper than red light and stimulates collagen production in muscles, bones, and joints.
6. Dry Sauna and Steam (Heat) Therapy
Regular sauna use has been shown to boost HGH and therefore collagen. You can get even more benefit by using a dry infrared sauna, which penetrates deep into muscles and joints to stimulate collagen health at a deeper level.
7. Extreme Cold Therapy – Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy exposes your body to sub-zero temperatures for up to 3 minutes. The body responds to the cold stress by increasing beneficial hormones and proteins needed to rebuild collagen. Some studies suggest hGH and collagen growth can increase significantly with cryotherapy. Other potential benefits include injury recovery, pain relief, and weight loss.
8. Collagen-Boosting Supplements
Our supplement, Collagen Complete, contains ingredients essential to the collagen production process. Each ingredient helps protect collagen and stimulate production:
- Hydrolyzed Collagen – Broken down into tiny particles your body can absorb; studies show that 95% or more of hydrolyzed collagen can be absorbed (vs. less than 27% from typical food collagen).
- Vitamin C – Required to make all 28 types of collagen; combines with lysine and proline to form “procollagen,” and as an antioxidant helps protect existing collagen.
- Hyaluronic Acid – Occurs naturally in connective tissues; binds collagen and elastin to increase elasticity and protect cartilage; essential to natural collagen production.
- Glucosamine & Chondroitin – Shown to support a healthy collagen matrix in skin and joints.
- Silicon & other trace minerals – Silica is used by the body to make healthy collagen; users often report improvements in skin, hair, nails, and joint comfort.
- Enzymes: Papain, Bromelain & Protease – Help the body absorb collagen proteins.