Vital Proteins vs Sports Research Collagen 2026: Per Gram
Same product class, hydrolyzed bovine collagen peptides, sold in different scoops. Vital Proteins directs 20 g (two scoops), Sports Research 11 g (one), so the per-day prices are not comparable; per gram, Vital Proteins is 5% cheaper ($0.70 vs $0.73 per 10 g). Vital Proteins is confirmed in the NSF registry; Sports Research says Informed Sport but we did not find it in a public registry. Decide the dose first, then buy the cheaper gram, and pick Vital Proteins if a confirmed certification matters to you.
Informational comparison of label data and cost, not medical advice.
The numbers, side by side
| Per label serving | Vital Proteins | Sports Research |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Hydrolyzed bovine collagen peptides | Hydrolyzed bovine collagen peptides |
| Collagen per serving | 20 g (2 scoops (20g)) | 11 g (1 scoop (11g)) |
| Servings per tub | 28 | 41 |
| Collagen per tub | 560 g | 451 g |
| Certification | NSF Certified for Sport (confirmed in the NSF registry) | Informed Sport, Non-GMO Verified (brand-stated; not confirmed in the public registry) |
| Price | $38.99 | $32.95 |
| Cost per label serving | $1.39 | $0.80 |
| Cost per 10 g collagen | $0.70 | $0.73 |
| Days per tub at 10 g | 56 | 45 |
| Buy | Check price → | Check price → |
Prices are the current Amazon price for the exact container (verified 2026-10-09) and move week to week. Collagen per serving is the protein figure on each Supplement Facts panel.
The real difference: the scoop, then the certification
Both tubs are hydrolyzed collagen peptides from bovine hide, the type I and III material behind nearly all of the collagen trial literature. A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of 26 randomized trials found hydrolyzed collagen improved skin hydration and elasticity against placebo (Pu 2023, PMID 37432180); the classic skin study used 2.5 g a day of a specific peptide preparation for eight weeks (Proksch 2014, PMID 23949208), and a meta-analysis of osteoarthritis trials found reduced stiffness with collagen supplementation at doses around 10 g (García-Coronado 2019, PMID 30368550). Neither brand has a trial of its own product that separates it from the other; the evidence is for the ingredient.
So the choice is arithmetic. Vital Proteins’ two-scoop 20 g serving is above what the skin trials used and in the range of the tendon protocols; Sports Research’s one-scoop 11 g is the smaller serving. If you take 10 g a day, the tubs last 56 and 45 days, and Vital Proteins costs 5% less per gram today. The certification is the other real difference: Vital Proteins is confirmed in the NSF registry, while Sports Research states Informed Sport on its label and we did not find it in a public registry. If you are a tested athlete, check the registry for the exact tub before you rely on either.
Who each one is for
Choose Vital Proteins if you want a 15 to 20 g tendon-protocol dose in one serving, you want a certification we confirmed in the NSF registry, or it is the cheaper tub per gram the day you order.
Choose Sports Research if you take a 10 g daily dose and are fine relying on the brand’s own certification statement, or it is the cheaper tub per gram the day you order.
Skip both if you want type II collagen for cartilage: that is a different, much smaller-dose product (UC-II is 40 mg), and our collagen types census shows how rarely a multi-collagen label delivers it.
Our picks
20 g per two scoops, NSF Certified for Sport (confirmed in the NSF registry). $0.70 per 10 g.
11 g per scoop, Informed Sport, Non-GMO Verified (brand-stated; not confirmed in the public registry) on the listing. $0.73 per 10 g.
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The evidence · Collagen
What the published reviews of Collagen concluded
- Effects of Collagen Supplements on Skin Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. · The American journal of medicine, 2025
“There is currently no clinical evidence to support the use of collagen supplements to prevent or treat skin aging.”
- Impact of Collagen Peptide Supplementation in Combination with Long-Term Physical Training on Strength, Musculotendinous Remodeling, Functional Recovery, and Body Composition in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. · Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2024
“This systematic review and meta-analysis represents the first comprehensive investigation into the effects of long-term CP supplementation combined with regular physical training on various aspects of musculoskeletal health in adults.”
- Collagen supplementation for skin health: A mechanistic systematic review. · Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 2020
“In this systematic review, three different mechanisms of action were clarified for the intervention. Direct effects of collagen peptides on fibroblasts, M2-like macrophages, and oral tolerance-related mechanisms are the possible mechanisms for the beneficial effects of collagen supplementation.”
- Effects of Hydrolyzed Collagen as a Dietary Supplement on Fibroblast Activation: A Systematic Review. · Nutrients, 2024
“Hydrolyzed collagens or collagen peptides with molecular sizes ranging from <3 to 3000 KDa promote the stimulation of fibroblasts in human tissues.”
Method: PubMed searched in humans for systematic reviews and meta-analyses with Collagen in the title; these 4 of the 9 that qualified are shown with the authors’ own conclusion quoted rather than summarised. What it cannot tell you: whether Collagen will work for you — each of these reports an average across trials published 2020–2025, and null findings are shown here as readily as positive ones.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vital Proteins or Sports Research collagen better?
They are the same kind of product, hydrolyzed bovine collagen peptides, and neither has trial evidence the other lacks. The honest differences are the serving (Vital Proteins 20 g in two scoops, Sports Research 11 g in one), the certification (Vital Proteins is confirmed in the NSF registry; Sports Research says Informed Sport, but we did not find it in a public registry) and the price per gram: $0.70 vs $0.73 per 10 g at current Amazon prices, so Vital Proteins is 5% cheaper per gram. Pick by the dose you intend to take, and choose Vital Proteins if a confirmed certification matters to you.
How much collagen should I take a day?
The skin trials mostly used 2.5 to 10 g a day for 8 to 12 weeks; the joint-pain trials used about 10 g; the tendon and connective-tissue protocols used 15 g or more with exercise and vitamin C. A 2023 meta-analysis of 26 randomized trials found improved skin hydration and elasticity with hydrolyzed collagen across that range. One Sports Research scoop is 11 g; two Vital Proteins scoops are 20 g, which is more than most skin trials used and about what the tendon protocols used.
Which is cheaper, Vital Proteins or Sports Research?
Per label serving they differ ($0.80 vs $1.39 a day) only because the servings differ. Per gram of collagen, Vital Proteins is cheaper: $0.70 vs $0.73 per 10 g. At 10 g a day a tub of Vital Proteins lasts 56 days and a tub of Sports Research 45 days.
Does the certification matter for collagen?
Only if you are drug-tested. Vital Proteins is confirmed in the NSF registry. Sports Research lists Informed Sport on its label, but we did not find it in a public registry, so treat that as the brand’s statement. Both programs test finished lots for banned substances and label accuracy, and athletic bodies recognize them. For everyone else a certification is a quality signal, not a reason to pay more.
Are these types I and III collagen?
Both are bovine hide collagen, which is predominantly type I with some type III; that is what every mainstream collagen peptide powder is. Neither is a type II product, which comes from cartilage and is sold at much smaller doses for joints. See our census of collagen types on the shelf for how often labels say which.
Related
- Best collagen supplement, ranked
- Collagen types compared: what 851 labels actually declare
- Liquid vs powder collagen
- Collagen dosage guide
Sources
- Pu SY, et al. “Effects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Nutrients. 2023. PMID: 37432180
- Proksch E, et al. “Oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides has beneficial effects on human skin physiology: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.” Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2014. PMID: 23949208
- García-Coronado JM, et al. “Effect of collagen supplementation on osteoarthritis symptoms: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.” Int Orthop. 2019. PMID: 30368550
- Product labels: Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (Unflavored) and Sports Research Collagen Peptides (Unflavored); Amazon prices verified 2026-10-09.