Does collagen help with fatigue during perimenopause?

Collagen is not a meaningful intervention for perimenopausal fatigue. It is a structural protein, not an energy-producing one, and the research connecting collagen supplementation to fatigue relief is very thin. Some advocates point to glycine, one of collagen's main amino acids, and its potential role in sleep quality and mitochondrial function, but the direct connection to the fatigue you feel during perimenopause is indirect at best. If fatigue is your main concern, collagen is unlikely to be the answer you are looking for.

Glycine does have some interesting preliminary research behind it. A 2012 study published in Sleep and Biological Rhythms found that 3 grams of glycine taken before bed improved subjective sleep quality and reduced daytime sleepiness in people with self-reported poor sleep. Since glycine is abundant in collagen supplements, some people reason that collagen might carry these sleep-adjacent benefits. However, the glycine dose used in sleep research is achievable only if you are taking a large collagen dose, roughly 10 to 20 grams, and no studies have directly tested collagen supplements for fatigue reduction in perimenopausal women. There is also a theoretical connection between glycine and mitochondrial energy metabolism, but this has not been studied in this population. The evidence chain is too long and uncertain to count on for practical energy benefits.

Perimenopausal fatigue is multi-layered and has several real drivers. Fluctuating progesterone and estrogen disrupt sleep architecture, often reducing slow-wave (deep, restorative) sleep even when you feel like you are sleeping enough hours. Night sweats fragment sleep further. Progesterone has a sedating effect in some women when it is high, and an activating effect as it drops, both can leave you exhausted. Cortisol dysregulation is also common during perimenopause, meaning you may feel tired but wired at night and sluggish in the morning. Thyroid function can shift in this decade of life and should be ruled out as a cause. Low iron or B12 are common and correctable contributors. Collagen addresses none of these root causes directly.

If your healthcare provider recommends it and you want to try collagen anyway, the most studied forms use hydrolysed collagen peptides at doses between 5 and 15 grams per day. For the glycine-sleep angle specifically, studies have used 3 grams of glycine, which is roughly achievable in a 10-gram collagen dose. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether this makes sense for you and whether it is worth prioritizing over other interventions. Taking collagen in the evening might be marginally worth trying if the glycine-sleep hypothesis holds, though this has not been directly tested. Vitamin C is required for collagen synthesis in your body, so pairing with a vitamin C source makes sense regardless of your goal.

For actual fatigue relief in perimenopause, there are better-supported strategies. Consistent sleep timing and good sleep hygiene can significantly improve sleep quality. Magnesium glycinate at night has evidence for improving sleep and reducing that wired-tired pattern. Resistance training, despite feeling counterintuitive when you are exhausted, reliably improves energy over time by improving sleep architecture and insulin sensitivity. Addressing iron stores, vitamin B12, and vitamin D is worth a blood panel, deficiencies in any of these are common and highly correctable. Collagen does not compete with any of these approaches, but it should not replace them.

Give any fatigue intervention at least 6 to 8 weeks before deciding whether it is working. Fatigue is one of the hardest symptoms to evaluate because it overlaps with so many factors, stress, sleep, nutrition, hormonal shifts, and activity level all interact. Keep a simple daily energy log (even just a 1 to 5 rating) so you can detect real changes rather than relying on memory. Comparing weeks with and without a supplement is far more reliable than trying to recall how you generally felt.

Fatigue that is severe, persistent, or getting worse over time deserves medical attention even if you assume perimenopause is the cause. Significant unexplained fatigue can signal thyroid disease, anemia, sleep apnea, depression, or autoimmune conditions. If your fatigue is interfering meaningfully with your daily life and is not responding to basic lifestyle measures, bring it to your healthcare provider and ask specifically about thyroid function tests, iron studies, ferritin, and a complete blood count.

The PeriPlan app lets you track your energy levels alongside sleep quality, stress, and cycle patterns so you can start to identify what is actually driving your fatigue and bring that data to your appointments. Personalized tracking often reveals patterns that generic advice misses, like energy reliably crashing in the week before your period or correlating tightly with poor sleep nights. Download PeriPlan at https://apps.apple.com/app/periplan/id6740066498.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider about your specific situation.