Research review
Whey Protein and Collagen: Can You Take Them Together?
Whey protein doesn't naturally contain collagen. The evidence on combining the two is thin and mixed: one trial found no added benefit, a newer unreplicated trial found one.
Whey protein doesn't contain collagen — they're different proteins from different sources, and a whey protein product doesn't become a collagen source just because the two are often taken by the same people. The evidence doesn't support combining them as a reliable upgrade over whey alone, either: the few trials that tested it directly found either no added benefit, or a result from a single new trial that hasn't been repeated.
What the evidence doesn't support
It doesn't support the idea that whey protein naturally contains collagen, or that the two are interchangeable — collagen is a structural protein from connective tissue, skin and bone; whey is a dairy protein filtered from milk. They come from different parts of an animal and have different amino acid profiles. It also doesn't support combining collagen with whey as something proven to outperform whey alone for muscle-building outcomes: only two trials tested a direct combination, and they didn't agree.
What the trials found
A 2024 randomized, double-blind trial had young, fit men complete 3 weeks of eccentric knee-extensor training while taking either 45 g of whey protein alone, or 25 g of whey plus 20 g of collagen peptides (45 g total protein either way). Isometric and dynamic strength both dropped by about 10% in the 48 hours after training, and creatine kinase (a marker of muscle damage) doubled, in both groups equally. Countermovement jump and maximal strength recovered similarly in both groups by the end of the 3 weeks. There was no difference between the whey-only group and the whey-plus-collagen group on any outcome measured — substituting part of the whey for collagen, at the same total protein dose, changed nothing measured here.
A 2026 randomized, placebo-controlled trial (ahead of print, registered at ClinicalTrials.gov) assigned 40 resistance-trained men to 30 g/day whey plus 10 g/day collagen, 30 g/day whey alone, 10 g/day collagen alone, or a maltodextrin placebo, through an 8-week supervised resistance training program. The combined whey-plus-collagen group had the largest increase in muscle mass, lumbar spine bone mineral density, and squat and bench press strength of the four groups — larger than whey alone, collagen alone, or placebo. The authors reported no financial conflicts of interest. This is one trial, in 40 men, not yet replicated by an independent research group, and it directly contradicts the null result above from a different, earlier trial that also combined whey and collagen. Both can't be given equal weight yet; more trials, ideally from other labs, are what would settle which pattern holds.
Questions people ask
Does whey protein have collagen in it?
No. Whey is a dairy protein from milk; collagen is a structural protein from connective tissue, skin, or bone. A whey protein powder doesn't contain collagen unless collagen is separately listed as an added ingredient on its label.
Can you take collagen and whey protein together?
Nothing in the trials above reported an adverse interaction from combining them. Whether combining adds a benefit over whey alone is unsettled: one trial found no difference from substituting some whey for collagen at the same total protein; a newer, unreplicated trial found the combination outperformed either alone. Both are single findings, not a consistent pattern yet.
Should I add a collagen supplement to my whey protein shake?
That's a personal choice the evidence doesn't clearly settle either way yet. If you take both, there's nothing documented above suggesting a safety problem with combining them; the muscle-building benefit of doing so specifically, versus just taking whey, is not yet consistently shown.
When to talk to a doctor
Neither whey protein nor collagen peptides, alone or combined, is a treatment for any medical condition. If you have kidney disease, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medication that affects protein metabolism, talk to a doctor before adding either or both to your diet.
Related reading: whey protein vs collagen: what the trials on muscle show and whey protein benefits: what the research does and doesn't show.
Sources
- Partly Substituting Whey for Collagen Peptide Supplementation Improves Neither Indices of Muscle Damage Nor Recovery of Functional Capacity During Eccentric Exercise Training in Fit Males In 22 young men doing 3 weeks of eccentric training, substituting part of a 45 g daily whey dose for collagen peptides (at the same total protein) made no measurable difference to muscle damage or recovery compared with whey alone.
- The combined effects of whey protein and collagen supplementation on bone mineral density and muscle mass in resistance-trained men: a randomized controlled trial In 40 resistance-trained men over 8 weeks, combining 30 g whey with 10 g collagen daily produced bigger gains in muscle mass, spine bone density and strength than either ingredient alone or a placebo.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.