Skip to content

Coming soon. The store is not open yet.

Menu
Full Measure

Ingredient guide

Collagen dosage: how much collagen per day?

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

Most trials used 2.5 to 15 g of collagen peptides a day: 2.5 to 10 g for skin, 5 to 10 g for joint comfort and 15 g alongside strength training. No trial reviewed here compared 20 g with less, so a larger serving has not been shown to work better.1,2,3

Key facts

  • In the main skin trial, the lower amount of 2.5 g a day was enough to differ from placebo.4
  • Undenatured type II collagen is dosed in milligrams: 40 mg a day in its trial.5
  • Short studies used up to 60 g a day with no adverse effects reported.2
  • Skin trials were almost all in women, so their amounts are the ones studied for women.1

Amounts by goal

Skin trials mostly used 2.5 to 10 g of hydrolyzed collagen a day for 8 to 12 weeks. Across 26 trials the amounts ranged from under 1 g to 12 g a day.1

Joint trials in active adults used 5 to 10 g a day for 12 weeks, and a review of 15 trials with exercise found 5 to 15 g a day the amounts most consistently linked to less joint discomfort.2,6,7

In a 2024 analysis of 19 training trials, 12 used 15 g of collagen peptides a day; the four that measured tendons used 5, 15 or 30 g.3

Daily amounts used in trials1,3,5,6,7,8
What was studiedDaily amountTrial length
Skin hydration and elasticity2.5 to 10 g8 to 12 weeks
Joint comfort during activity5 to 10 g12 weeks
With strength training15 g in most trials (5 to 30 g)8 weeks or more
Nails (one open-label study)2.5 g24 weeks
Undenatured type II collagen40 mg120 days

Does more work better?

Not that trials have shown. In the main skin trial, 69 women took 2.5 g or 5 g a day, and both amounts raised elasticity above placebo; no trial reviewed here tested 20 g against 10 g.4

May support skin hydration and elasticity*1,9

Moderate evidence

A 2023 meta-analysis of 26 randomized trials (1,721 people, mostly women) found better skin hydration and elasticity with hydrolyzed collagen, usually 2.5 to 10 g a day for 8 to 12 weeks, though only one trial used bovine collagen like this product. A 2025 meta-analysis of 23 trials (1,474 people) found the benefit only in company-funded trials; trials without company funding, and higher-quality trials, showed no effect.

Amount studied: 2.5 to 10 g a day for 8 to 12 weeks

Collagen and your protein total

Protein-quality calculations suggest collagen could make up as much as 36 percent of daily protein in a typical Western diet while essential amino acid needs are still met.10

Collagen still counts only in part toward daily protein, because it lacks tryptophan. Use it alongside complete proteins rather than instead of them.2,10

Our serving

What’s in ours

A full serving of either of our Collagen Peptides gives 20 g of collagen, above most trial amounts. Half a scoop of the unflavored powder, or one scoop of the chocolate, gives 10 g, the top of the range studied for skin and joints.1,2

Larger amounts, and who should ask

Most trials used 2.5 to 15 g a day, so there is little information on how 20 g or more a day is tolerated over months.1,2

No tolerable upper intake level has been set for collagen. Most trials used 2.5 to 15 g a day for up to 12 months, and a review of 15 trials found no adverse effects reported, including in short studies at 60 g a day.2,11

  • Ask first if you have kidney disease or have had kidney stones, because collagen raises urinary oxalate12
  • Ask first if you have been told to limit protein
  • Ask first if you are pregnant or nursing

Questions people ask

Is 20 g of collagen a day too much?

No upper limit is set, and short studies used up to 60 g a day with no adverse effects reported, but most trials used 15 g or less, so long-term data at 20 g are thin. People who form kidney stones should ask first, because collagen raises urinary oxalate.2,12

How much collagen should a woman take a day?

The skin trials, almost all in women, mostly used 2.5 to 10 g a day for 8 to 12 weeks. No trial set a separate amount for women.1

See what we make

Every product shows its whole label and what its lab report covers. The store opens soon.

See the Full Measure lineCollagen PeptidesCollagen Peptides

Sources

  1. Pu SY, Huang YL, Pu CM, Kang YN, Hoang KD, Chen KH, Chen C. Effects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2023;15(9):2080. Opened 2026-10-01.
  2. Khatri M, Naughton RJ, Clifford T, Harper LD, Corr L. The effects of collagen peptide supplementation on body composition, collagen synthesis, and recovery from joint injury and exercise: a systematic review. Amino Acids. 2021;53(10):1493-1506. Opened 2026-10-01.
  3. Bischof K, Moitzi AM, Stafilidis S, König D. Impact of Collagen Peptide Supplementation in Combination with Long-Term Physical Training on Strength, Musculotendinous Remodeling, Functional Recovery, and Body Composition in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2024;54(11):2865-2888. Opened 2026-10-01.
  4. Proksch E, Segger D, Degwert J, Schunck M, Zague V, Oesser S. Oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides has beneficial effects on human skin physiology: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2014;27(1):47-55. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. Lugo JP, Saiyed ZM, Lau FC, et al. Undenatured type II collagen (UC-II®) for joint support: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013;10(1):48. Opened 2026-10-07.
  6. Zdzieblik D, Brame J, Oesser S, Gollhofer A, König D. The Influence of Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides on Knee Joint Discomfort in Young Physically Active Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2021;13(2):523. Opened 2026-10-01.
  7. Bongers CCWG, Ten Haaf DSM, Catoire M, Kersten B, Wouters JA, Eijsvogels TMH, Hopman MTE. Effectiveness of collagen supplementation on pain scores in healthy individuals with self-reported knee pain: a randomized controlled trial. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2020;45(7):793-800. Opened 2026-10-01.
  8. Hexsel D, Zague V, Schunck M, Siega C, Camozzato FO, Oesser S. Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2017;16(4):520-526. Opened 2026-10-07.
  9. Myung SK, Park Y. Effects of Collagen Supplements on Skin Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Am J Med. 2025;138(9):1264-1277. Opened 2026-10-01.
  10. Paul C, Leser S, Oesser S. Significant Amounts of Functional Collagen Peptides Can Be Incorporated in the Diet While Maintaining Indispensable Amino Acid Balance. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1079. Opened 2026-10-07.
  11. König D, Oesser S, Scharla S, Zdzieblik D, Gollhofer A. Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women-A Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients. 2018;10(1):97. Opened 2026-10-01.
  12. Knight J, Jiang J, Assimos DG, Holmes RP. Hydroxyproline ingestion and urinary oxalate and glycolate excretion. Kidney Int. 2006;70(11):1929-1934. Opened 2026-10-07.

*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.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.