Collagen protein for joints and tendon repair
The role of collagen and gelatin protein in joint, tendon and bone healing has garnered significant attention due to increasing prevalence of long-term joint injuries and osteoarthritis from sport participation. The benefits of vitamin C enriched dietary gelatin and hydrolysed collagen proteins to support healing and repair offer a promising strategy to support recovery from tendon and joint injuries.
Using collagen with elite athletes
I first heard about the potential benefits of collagen at a conference in Madrid 5 years ago and it really caught my attention. Back then there was significant discussion about how athletes and non athletes could support their recovery from various injuries through nutrition strategies, apart from omega 3, antioxidant rich foods, and a focus on protein for repair. At the time not many other strategies were being looked at outside of these which got me excited about the potential that collagen could have. I made a really good contact and professional relationship at the time with a woman called Suzanne who was working in the collagen space with a very well known collagen company.
Suzanne and her research team were looking at numerous research projects with athletes on tendon, joint and bone health. The preliminary findings of the work on collagen were too significant to ignore and for that reason I requested some collagen to provide to the athletes I was working with. Within 2 weeks I had the collagen samples and every athlete that was a candidate to take collagen was taking it as part of their nutrition recovery strategy. The key message was about consistency because all the research suggested it was weeks and months before real benefits could be seen. Like with any new product, at first people were sceptical but most athletes continued to take it in the hope of any little help being worth it. As the weeks went by the feedback became more and more positive, some athletes began to feel improvements in tendon health and pain without any other significant change to their behaviours.
Collagen very quickly became the key product for athletes who were managing a tendon, joint or bone injury. Since then the research to support the use of collagen has increased and the provision of products in the industry has become more widely available. It is however important to point out that it is in combination with a progressive rehabilitation program that collagen has been shown to provide a potential benefit. Eating bowls of jelly and ice-cream while not following an appropriate rehabilitation program is not going to get you back fitter and stronger than before!
What is collagen?
Collagen makes up one-third of all protein in the body and is the most abundant form of structural protein in tendons, cartilage and bones. As collagen is the principal component of the extracellular matrix (ECM), it is vital for the strength and regeneration of this tissue. Collagen is made up of three amino acids—glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline.
There are different types of collagen in the body, all with slightly different roles but 80 – 90 % of the collagen in the body consists of types I, II, and III.
Types of collagen
Type I collagen forms the hard tissue in bone, cartilage, tendons, teeth and connective tissue and is the most common form of collagen within the body.
Type II collagen (also known as hyaline or articular cartilage) is the gel-like substance designed to provide cushioning and allow joints to absorb shock.
Type III collagen supports the structure of muscles, organs, and arteries.
The collagen protein is hydrolysed enzymatically (broken down), degrading into smaller bioactive peptides that are easily absorbed within the digestive tract (the intestine) before entering circulation and reaching the bone and tendons. Research supports using a dose of 10-15g, once a day for several months. It is important to note that to achieve the benefits from collagen supplementation, it needs to be taken over a prolonged period of time i.e., months rather than weeks! Those taking it need to be patient when taking it as part of their recovery and not expect any instant results! For this reason, it is important that it is provided in highly palatable recipes and meals such as, jelly recipes, smoothies, protein bars, protein balls or flavoured yogurts.
Collagen recipes
If you want to include this as part of your nutrition strategy, I recommend including it into some of my smoothies or smoothie bowls recipes. From my experience with athletes who choose to include collagen supplementation as part of their nutrition strategy, compliance with the long-term protocol is the biggest challenge.
Other supplements
Other supplements like creatine or caffeine can show acute or certainly shorter-term benefits which provides affirmation to effort involved. Unfortunately, this is not the case with collagen supplements. Still, despite the research still being in its infancy, there are no known down sides or side effects (apart from the cost of course), and it is for that reason it has become an important part of the nutrition strategy I recommend to athletes. While hydrolysed collagen protein will have a greater bioavailability and superior amino acid profile, using gelatin as part of your recovery process is certainly a good second option. You can make flavoured gelatin shots and bites and consume them 1 hour before your rehabilitation session. Just make sure you consume at least 15g.
What about injury prevention?
There is another potential longer term benefit from collagen which is harder to measure and that is the potential for supplementation to help maintain ‘robustness and strength’. In simple terms this means older athletes and our aging population may benefit from reduced risk of injury, tendon pain and inflammation by taking it as part of their nutrition strategy. It’s with this in mind that I personally take it, if there is a chance it may help then I am willing to make that investment.
Summary
Collagen protein supplementation provides a significant and positive strategy for people managing joint, tendon and bone health issues. It isn’t a magic pill and your injury or pain will not simply clear up when you start taking it. You must have a solid holistic strategy that includes a nutrition plan, an individualised rehabilitation program and take collagen consistently. Finally, while there are some key considerations around its consumption, I believe collagen supplementation is one of the most significant developments in the industry in the past 10 years.
Kinetica have developed an excellent and tasty collagen product which can be purchased here using the discount code KINDD15.
References
Tipton, K.D., 2015. Nutritional support for exercise-induced injuries. Sports Medicine, 45(1), pp.93-104.
Shaw, G., Lee-Barthel, A., Ross, M.L., Wang, B. and Baar, K., 2017. Vitamin C–enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 105(1), pp.136-143.
Quintero, K.J., de Sá Resende, A., Leite, G.S.F. and Junior, A.H.L., 2018. An overview of nutritional strategies for recovery process in sports-related muscle injuries. Nutrire, 43(1), p.27.
Shaw, G., Lee-Barthel, A., Ross, M.L., Wang, B. and Baar, K., 2017. Vitamin C–enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 105(1), pp.136-143.
Khatri, M., Naughton, R.J., Clifford, T., Harper, L.D. and Corr, L., 2021. The effects of collagen peptide supplementation on body composition, collagen synthesis, and recovery from joint injury and exercise: a systematic review. Amino Acids, pp.1-14.