Collagen supplements are marketed almost exclusively to women. The imagery, the language, the influencers — all point in one direction. This is a missed opportunity, and increasingly, a misconception that the science does not support.
Men Lose Collagen Too
Collagen decline is not gender-specific. Men produce collagen at comparable rates to women until their mid-twenties, after which synthesis decreases steadily — approximately 1% per year. Unlike women, who experience an accelerated drop around menopause, men face a slower but equally cumulative loss. By their forties and fifties, the structural consequences are tangible: reduced joint mobility, slower muscle recovery, declining skin firmness, and increased injury risk.
Where Men Feel It Most
The applications most relevant to male physiology are joints, muscle recovery, and tendons — not skin, which dominates female-oriented marketing.
Tendons are composed of up to 85% collagen. Tendon injuries are among the most common in male athletes and active individuals, and among the slowest to heal. Research by Shaw et al. (2017) found that collagen peptide supplementation combined with vitamin C and mechanical loading significantly increased collagen synthesis in tendons compared to placebo.
For muscle recovery, collagen peptides contribute to the connective tissue surrounding muscle fibers. While not a substitute for complete protein sources in muscle building, they play a supporting structural role that is often overlooked in sports nutrition.
The Dubai Market Opportunity
In the UAE, fitness culture among men is significant. Gym attendance, combat sports, cycling, and padel are embedded in the lifestyle of a large segment of Pearl Nutrition’s target demographic. Yet the collagen supplement market here remains almost entirely female-facing. This is a positioning gap worth owning.
The Bottom Line
Collagen is a structural protein. Structure does not discriminate by gender. Men who train, recover, or simply want to age well have every reason to supplement with collagen — and very few brands are speaking to them directly.