Can collagen power up your workouts and fitness recovery?

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

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

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

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.

“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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.