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Can collagen power up your workouts and fitness recovery?

amy_bonifasheadshot

Written byAmy Bonifas

Alex Thompson

Reviewed byAlex Thompson

Lady drinking sports drink post workout
To feel fit for your next workout, you need a plan in place – and this nutritionist says collagen may speed up and support your sports performance

Summary

1Collagen, joint pain and injuries

“A large 2023 review found that athletes taking 5-10g of collagen felt reduced pain and better joint flexibility…”

2Collagen to keep you running for longer

“A study of marathon runners found that the body produces an influx of type II collagen…”

3Collagen for building strength

“Collagen can help to prevent age-related muscle loss, but its big benefits are to do with bone strengthening…”

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You’ve probably heard about collagen’s potential in the beauty arena, but how about a sporting one? Turns out it might just help support you after exercise.1

Research from more than one study has examined collagen supplementation on muscles and found that it might improve tissue repair and muscle recovery due to being able to encourage collagen synthesis.

Here, H&B’s Senior Nutritionist Alex Thompson – a specialist in sport nutrition – breaks down the types of collagen you need to know about and how they may help you after a workout, as well as how it fits with your trusty protein powder. Plus, he shares how to use collagen supplements to give your training routine the edge.

The many faces of collagen

First, let’s break down how collagen works to better understand the potential benefits for sport and exercise lovers.

“Collagen is one of your body’s key building blocks and it gives structure to your bones, skin, tendons, blood vessels and more,” says Alex. “It also plays a key role in repair and rebuilding tissues – it can help stimulate cartilage and bone to grow.”

"There are three main collagen types that support mobility when training"

While 28 different types of collagen have been identified according to the structure they form2 – who knew? – it’s mainly types one to three (written as I-III) that support mobility when training.3
  • Collagen type I – “This is the most common type and gives your connective tissues the structure and ability to work alongside your muscles,” says Alex. “It’s hugely important for helping you stay active as you age and plays a role in repairing damaged tissue, too.”
  • Collagen type II – “Type II makes up the tissue that cushions your joints and bones – your cartilage,” says Alex. It’s made up of a tight network of fibres and gives your cartilage the strength and elasticity to withstand the pressure of physical activity4
  • Collagen type III – Supporting the structure of your muscles, organs and arteries, type 3 plays an important role in the early stages of tissue repair – helping with the cell production stages of the process5

Collagen and post-workout

In a nutshell, “just as dietary protein is key for muscle building and recovery, collagen is vital for the recovery of your tendons and ligaments. These connect your muscles to your bones and help to stabilise your skeleton as you move – which is no mean feat,” says Alex.
Hands preparing a collagen drink in jug
“And while dietary proteins are packed with all the amino acids needed for muscle growth and repair, they’re lower in two particular ones – glycine and proline – which play a particular role in tendon, ligament and also cartilage recovery,” explains Alex. And you guessed it, these are the amino acids that collagen is richest in.6

Supplements and post-workout

We might blame our muscles when the post-workout ache sets in, but your connecting tissues are responsible too. “After weight training or a heavy training session, people tend to feel the worst soreness between the tendons and the muscle structure,” says Alex.

Adding a collagen containing products to the mix might make all the difference7 found that taking 3g of collagen daily for six weeks led to less DOMS-related pain and better muscle recovery after exercise,” says Alex. “But another piece of breakthrough research8 found that taking a higher dose before could make a difference in as little as a week.” However, as these studies were conducted in small sample sizes (eight people), larger clinical trials are needed to confirm these results.

"Research suggests taking collagen proactively before aches and pains kick in could help you bounce back quicker"

In the study,8 looking into the effects of collagen peptides on muscle damage, participants took 20g of collagen seven days before and two days after performing an impressive 150 drop jumps. They not only reported reduced muscle soreness 48 hours after the exercise, compared to the placebo group, they also recovered quicker and showed improved performance

“This is likely down to those ‘hero’ amino acids – glycine and proline,” says Alex. “The research also suggests you could try taking higher dose of collagen (10-20g) proactively before those aches and pains kick in, helping you bounce back quicker.” Win-win.

While these studies show promising outcomes for collagen supplementation in DOMS, more robust evidence via larger clinical trials is needed. Please refer to the product label on the acceptable dose of collagen as each product may vary.

You should also speak to a healthcare professional before adding any new collagen containing products to your diet.

Collagen, joint pain and injuries

Pain and injury happen to the best of us. 43% of athletes get at least one injury per season,9 and highly active people might be more likely to experience joint pain, according to researchers.10
Lady with red hair stretching on sports pitch
The good news is that collagen might be able to help. “A large 2023 review11 found that athletes taking 5-10g of collagen felt reduced pain and better joint flexibility – reducing their injury risk,” says Alex. It also found that collagen containing products increased the length of pain-free activity and reduced the need for alternative pain relief by up to 59%.
Collagen could also be a game-changer for preventing future injuries, too. A study on athletes with chronic ankle injuries12 (one of the most common sport-related issues) found that taking 5g of collagen for six months lowered the number of future ankle sprains and injury risk overall.

“Again, this is because collagen not only helps to stabilise your tendons, ligaments and cartilage, but collagen types I and III also signal to cells when tissue is damaged, helping to kick off and speed up the repair process.”

Collagen to keep you running for longer

We’ve all heard that running can be tough on your joints. But according to new research,13 running might help to stimulate your cartilage to grow, rather than wearing it out.

A study14 of marathon runners found that the body produces an influx of type II collagen after they cross the finishing line, likely to manage inflammation and encourage repair.

"According to one study, collagen supplementation might also help you fend off 'runner’s knee'"

Your cartilage is around 60% collagen15 and taking containing products could potentially keep this natural shock-absorber16 stay healthier – helping your running stamina and performance in the long term.

Collagen supplementation might also help you fend off one of the most common running complaints – runner’s knee. One study17 showed that 5g of daily collagen across 12 weeks improved activity-related knee pain in young athletes. Further studies looking at the dosage, type of collagen and duration is important, but this is a promising start.

Collagen for building strength

As an added bonus, collagen has an all-round strengthening effect. “Collagen can help to prevent age-related muscle loss,18 but its big benefits are to do with bone strengthening,” says Alex. A research analysis19 found that participants taking a collagen containing product had reduced the symptoms of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis and the authors theorised that collagen might help to increase bone mineral density. However, they acknowledged that further studies in early diagnosis, duration and dosage is vital to get a better understanding of how collagen could have the most potential impact.

“As we get older, our connective tissues start to wear down, so when your natural stores start to decline, collagen could help to improve mobility and even build some muscle mass.” This is especially true if you’re very active, as you’ll be putting your body under more stress.
Woman pouring healthy smoothie in glass from grinder jar on kitchen counter.

How to take collagen after your workout

“Collagen with added vitamin C works well with other protein sources as a training supplement,” says Alex. So, if you want to help your muscles bones, and cartilage, try adding both powdered collagen and protein to your post-workout smoothie. You can also buy blends of the two.

The final say

Collagen might be better known as a beauty supplement, but there’s some emerging evidence for taking collagen regularly to help your workouts – especially with a high-protein diet or protein products.

“The fact that it could also help you train more effectively in the long-term makes it a very hardworking supplement,” says Alex.

Always be sure to check the product for the dosage recommendations for each collagen product and follow.

Sources

1. Khatri M, Naughton RJ, Clifford T, Harper LD, Corr L. The effects of collagen peptide supplementation on body composition, collagen synthesis, and recovery from joint injury and exercise: a systematic review. Amino Acids [Internet]. 2021;53(10):1493–506. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8521576/y
2. Ricard-Blum S. The Collagen Family. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology [Internet]. 2010 Dec 15;3(1):a004978–8. Available from: https://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/content/3/1/a004978.long
3. Wang H. A Review of the Effects of Collagen Treatment in Clinical Studies. Polymers [Internet]. 2021 Nov 9;13(22):3868. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8620403/
4. Type II Collagen - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics [Internet]. Sciencedirect.com. 2016. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/type-ii-collagen
5. Mathew-Steiner SS, Roy S, Sen CK. Collagen in Wound Healing. Bioengineering. 2021 May 1;8(5):63.
6. Wu M, Crane JS. Biochemistry, Collagen Synthesis [Internet]. Nih.gov. StatPearls Publishing; 2019. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507709/
7. Lopez HL, Ziegenfuss TN, Park J. Evaluation of the Effects of BioCell Collagen, a Novel Cartilage Extract, on Connective Tissue Support and Functional Recovery From Exercise. Integrative Medicine (Encinitas, Calif) [Internet]. 2015 Jun 1 [cited 2024 Jul 16];14(3):30–8. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26770145/
8. Clifford T, Ventress M, Allerton DM, Stansfield S, Tang JCY, Fraser WD, et al. The effects of collagen peptides on muscle damage, inflammation and bone turnover following exercise: a randomized, controlled trial. Amino Acids. 2019 Feb 19;51(4):691–704.
9. UK Sport. Battle against injury and illness [Internet]. www.uksport.gov.uk. 2012. Available from: https://www.uksport.gov.uk/news/2012/07/25/battle-against-injury-and-illness
10. Elite sport linked with osteoarthritis risk [Internet]. The University of Edinburgh. 2022. Available from: https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2022/elite-sport-linked-with-osteoarthritis-risk
11. Khatri M, Naughton RJ, Clifford T, Harper LD, Corr L. The effects of collagen peptide supplementation on body composition, collagen synthesis, and recovery from joint injury and exercise: a systematic review. Amino Acids [Internet]. 2021;53(10):1493–506. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8521576/
12. Dressler P, Gehring D, Zdzieblik D, Oesser S, Gollhofer A, König D. Improvement of Functional Ankle Properties Following Supplementation with Specific Collagen Peptides in Athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine [Internet]. 2018 Jun 1;17(2):298. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5950747/
13. Miller RH, Krupenevich RL. Medial knee cartilage is unlikely to withstand a lifetime of running without positive adaptation: a theoretical biomechanical model of failure phenomena. PeerJ. 2020 Aug 5;8:e9676.
14. Hernández-Hermoso JA, Nescolarde L, Roca E, Revuelta-López E, Ara J, Bayes-Genis A. Marathon Running Increases Synthesis and Decreases Catabolism of Joint Cartilage Type II Collagen Accompanied by High-Energy Demands and an Inflamatory Reaction. Frontiers in Physiology. 2021 Oct 11;12.
15. Sophia Fox AJ, Bedi A, Rodeo SA. The Basic Science of Articular Cartilage: Structure, Composition, and Function. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach [Internet]. 2009 Nov;1(6):461–8. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3445147/
16. Martínez-Puig D, Costa-Larrión E, Rubio-Rodríguez N, Gálvez-Martín P. Collagen Supplementation for Joint Health: The Link between Composition and Scientific Knowledge. Nutrients [Internet]. 2023 Jan 1;15(6):1332. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/6/1332
17. Zdzieblik D, Oesser S, Gollhofer A, König D. Improvement of activity-related knee joint discomfort following supplementation of specific collagen peptides. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 2017 Jun;42(6):588–95.
18. Zdzieblik D, Oesser S, Baumstark MW, Gollhofer A, König D. Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Nutrition. 2015 Sep 10;114(8):1237–45.
19. Porfírio E, Fanaro GB. Collagen supplementation as a complementary therapy for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis: a systematic review. Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia [Internet]. 2016 Feb;19(1):153–64. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1809-98232016000100153
 

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