Does collagen help with muscle tension during perimenopause?

Collagen plays a structural role in the connective tissue that surrounds and supports muscles, including tendons, ligaments, and the fascial sheaths that wrap around muscle fiber bundles. So it is a biologically reasonable question to ask. But the honest answer is that the evidence linking collagen supplementation to relief from muscle tension specifically is very limited, and the drivers of muscle tightness in perimenopause sit mostly outside of what collagen can address.

Most of the solid research on collagen and musculoskeletal health focuses on tendons and joint cartilage rather than on muscle tension itself. A 2019 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that hydrolysed collagen taken with vitamin C before exercise supported tendon repair and reduced joint pain in athletes. Other randomized trials have shown modest benefits for joint discomfort, osteoarthritis symptoms, and connective tissue recovery. These are real and relevant findings, particularly for perimenopausal women dealing with joint pain or tendon issues. However, muscle tightness and tension involve the muscle fibers and the nervous system's regulation of muscle tone, not primarily the collagen-rich connective tissue wrapping around them. The target tissue is different.

In perimenopause, muscle tension tends to have multiple interacting drivers. Declining estrogen affects magnesium metabolism, and suboptimal magnesium levels are closely associated with muscle cramps, tightness, night-time leg restlessness, and slower recovery after physical activity. Estrogen also influences how muscles repair after use, so the soreness and stiffness women notice after exercise may worsen during the transition. As progesterone declines, the nervous system loses some of its natural calming input through GABA pathways, which can make muscles feel more reactive and difficult to fully relax. Chronic stress compounds this further, since cortisol-driven tension is a known contributor to tight neck, shoulder, and jaw muscles.

Collagen does contain glycine, an inhibitory amino acid found at concentrations that could theoretically have mild nervous-system calming effects. Some research shows that taking glycine before bed improves sleep quality and reduces feelings of physical fatigue and tension the following day. This is an indirect benefit operating through sleep recovery, not a direct muscle relaxant effect. It is worth trying if sleep quality is a concern, but it should not be the reason to choose collagen for muscle tension as a primary symptom.

For muscle tension with actual clinical evidence, magnesium is the supplement most directly relevant. Magnesium glycinate and magnesium malate in particular have evidence for supporting muscle relaxation and reducing cramps. Studies on magnesium for muscle function have used doses of 200 to 400 mg per day of elemental magnesium. Talk to your healthcare provider about the right form and dose for your situation since magnesium tolerance and appropriate dose vary considerably. Vitamin D deficiency, which is common in perimenopausal women, can also contribute to muscle aches and tension and is worth checking via a blood test.

If you choose to add collagen for its connective tissue and potential sleep benefits alongside your muscle tension concerns, hydrolysed collagen peptides in the range of 5 to 10 grams per day are what studies have examined most. Take it with vitamin C for best results. Choose your source carefully given your allergy history: marine collagen is not appropriate if you have fish or shellfish allergies, bovine collagen carries a low risk for beef sensitivity, and egg membrane collagen is not appropriate for egg allergies. Collagen is not a complete protein and lacks tryptophan, so ensure your overall diet is providing adequate complete protein to support muscle maintenance, which matters increasingly during perimenopause.

For connective tissue improvements, consistent collagen use over eight to twelve weeks is typically needed before changes become noticeable. Muscle tension, which fluctuates considerably with sleep quality, stress, exercise load, and hormonal phase, requires a similarly long observation window to evaluate any supplement effect reliably. Keeping a daily log of muscle tension severity, sleep quality, and activity level will show you far more than trying to recall patterns from memory.

See a doctor if muscle tension is severe, persistent, or accompanied by significant pain that limits your movement or exercise. Perimenopausal musculoskeletal symptoms can sometimes reflect low vitamin D, thyroid dysfunction, fibromyalgia, or inflammatory conditions that benefit from specific treatment. Significant new muscle weakness, particularly if progressive, also deserves evaluation. Physical therapy and targeted stretching programs are often more effective for tension than any supplement.

Logging muscle tension severity in PeriPlan (https://apps.apple.com/app/periplan/id6740066498) alongside sleep quality, activity, and cycle phase can help you identify whether the tension is hormonally driven, sleep-related, stress-driven, or tied to exercise load. That kind of pattern data helps you and your provider identify where to focus.

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