Collagen is the scaffolding that holds your body together, a structural protein woven into your skin, joints, gut lining, and connective tissues. But as we age (or face nutritional deficiencies, stress, and environmental toxins), collagen production naturally declines. The result? A cascade of symptoms that signal your body is craving this essential protein. If you’ve noticed any of the following, it may be time to replenish your collagen stores.

1.⁠ ⁠Your gut gives you no peace

A strong gut lining is the difference between nutrient absorption and systemic inflammation. And guess what holds the intestinal walls together? Collagen.

The gut lining is only one cell thick, a fragile barrier between you and a flood of undigested food particles, bacteria, and toxins. When that barrier weakens (a condition known as “leaky gut”), inflammation skyrockets, leading to bloating, food sensitivities, and autoimmune flares.

Glycine, one of collagen’s primary amino acids, is essential for sealing the gut lining. It reduces intestinal permeability, helps repair damaged tissue, and even stimulates stomach acid production, ensuring food is properly broken down instead of fermenting in the gut.

2. Your sleep isn't refreshing

You know those nights where you sleep eight hours but still feel like a zombie? That’s a glycine problem.

Glycine, found abundantly in collagen, plays a critical role in deep sleep. It lowers body temperature, which signals the nervous system to shift into rest mode. It also acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, calming the mind and easing anxiety.

In a clinical sleep study, glycine was found to help people fall asleep faster and enter deep sleep more quickly. It even enhanced cognitive function the next morning, meaning no more groggy, caffeine fuelled mornings.

3. Your joints sound like a haunted house

Joints should be silent. No clicks, no cracks, no deep groans of protest. If your hips feel stiff in the morning, or your knees limit your mobility during exercise, that’s cartilage breakdown in action, and cartilage is almost entirely made of collagen. 

Cartilage is the body’s natural shock absorber. When it starts wearing away, bones rub together, triggering inflammation and pain. In ancestral diets, collagen was replenished daily through nose-to-tail eating. Now? We eat muscle meats stripped of connective tissue, leaving our joints starved.

4. Your hair and nails break off 

If your once-thick locks are shedding more than usual, or losing their usual shine, your body might be struggling to maintain its collagen stores. Collagen provides the raw materials, amino acids like proline and glycine, that fortify hair structure, anchoring strands at the root and keeping them strong and supple. 

The same goes for your nails. Brittle, peeling, or slow-growing nails aren't just an inconvenience, but instead hint that your body is missing the foundational proteins needed for keratin production, the very substance that makes nails tough and resilient. 

5. Your wounds take forever to heal

Collagen is essential for tissue regeneration. If you notice that cuts, scrapes, or bruises are taking longer to heal than they used to, it’s a clear sign your body is lacking the raw materials needed for repair.

Collagen helps form new connective tissue, meaning that wounds heal faster, scars are less pronounced, and even gut or muscle injuries recover more efficiently.

6. Your skin doesn't feel bouncy 

Your skin is a record of nourishment, stress and time. Collagen forms a tightly woven triple-helix structure, giving skin its tensile strength and ability to resist sagging. It also works alongside hyaluronic acid to maintain moisture and elasticity. 

When collagen levels are abundant, skin remains smooth, plump and resilient. But when those levels drop, the scaffolding beneath your skin starts to collapse. Without its dense, fibrous structure, skin thins out, struggles to hold onto water, and loses its ability to spring back. Thus, fine lines develop into creases, the skin becomes drier and loses its ability to bounce back.

 7. You constantly feel on edge

Glycine, found abundantly in collagen, is one of the body’s most calming neurotransmitters. It functions similarly to GABA, helping to reduce anxiety, balance mood, and quiet an overactive nervous system by binding to receptors in the brainstem and spinal cord, regulating excitatory signals and promoting parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) activity.

When glycine levels are low, nervous tension builds, making it harder to unwind. Cortisol lingers, and sleep becomes fragmented, leaving you wired yet exhausted.

8. Your muscles feel weaker (despite training)

When strengthening your muscles, you are constantly overwhelmed by mention of the importance of protein. But it’s also crucial to consider the type of protein needed.

Collagen makes up 30% of muscle mass, acting as the connective tissue that holds everything together. Without it, muscle fibres fray, recovery slows, and workouts feel harder than they should. It also plays a critical role in tendon and ligament health, ensuring muscles remain anchored and protected from strain. 

Hydroxyproline, a rare amino acid found in collagen, is essential for muscle repair. It helps stimulate creatine synthesis, which fuels muscle growth and endurance. Athletes who supplement with collagen experience faster recovery, increased strength, and better muscle retention.

The road to replenishment

If any of the above resonate, fear not, as collagen loss isn't irreversible. 

Reclaim what's lost

Before industrialised food stripped our diets of collage, we ate nose-to-tail, skin bones and connective tissues includes. Today you can bring those traditions back: 

Halt the breakdown

Collagen doesn't just disappear, it's actively broken down by modern habits. To slow this process

1. Cut out processed foods: Industrial oils and ultra-processed foods trigger inflammation, accelerating collagen degradation
2. Lower stress: Chronic cortisol elevation halts collagen production and speeds up tissue breakdown

Train your body to regenerate collagen

1. Strength training: Resistance exercises increase fibroblast activity, leading to stronger joints, bones and skin
2. Cold therapy: Cold exposure (ice baths, cold showers) boost circulation and signal collagen synthesis
3. Sunlight: Morning sunlight regulates hormones like melatonin and growth factors essential for collagen renewal
4. Deep sleep: Collagen production peaks between 10pm and 2am. Prioritise quality sleep to maximise regeneration.

The road to replenishment is one of reconnection, reclaiming the wisdom of ancestral diets, protecting your body from unnecessary wear, and tuning into the natural cycles of renewal.