Collagen and Gelatin: A Tendon Protocol, Not a Skin Miracle

Summary

Collagen is digested to amino acids like any other protein, so it will **not** beat hitting adequate total protein for building muscle — but the flat "it's just protein, total scam" dismissal overshoots: there is a real, mechanistically-grounded but still-emerging (Tier 3) signal for **tendon and connective tissue** when **15–30 g of collagen or gelatin is paired with vitamin C and taken 30–60 minutes before loading exercise**, plus a genuine-but-funding-contaminated signal for skin elasticity at modest doses. The honest position is narrow and conditional, not "collagen for everything." ---