Collagen peptides

Story

Connected to · 4

synergy · 1

Training injuries
Shaw 2017 was a crossover trial in just 8 healthy men: 15 g of vitamin C-enriched gelatin 1 hour before rope skipping doubled a blood marker of type I collagen synthesis afterwards. That shows a stronger synthesis signal; whether it helps an injured tendon recover was not tested.

cofactor · 1

Glycine
About a third of the amino acids in collagen are glycine, so making collagen each day uses up a good deal of glycine. Some researchers have estimated that the body's own glycine production cannot meet the demand of collagen synthesis; that is the chemical basis for supplementing collagen peptides or glycine, though the estimate has not been tested against health outcomes in people.

contrast · 2

Joints · Cartilage & Tendon
The promise that collagen peptides fix joints goes too far. In a 24-week trial of college athletes with activity-related joint pain, those taking collagen hydrolysate improved more on pain scores, but that is a signal about symptoms, not evidence that cartilage was rebuilt. First-line care for joints is still exercise plus weight loss.
Glucosamine + Chondroitin
These two joint supplements are often compared, but the trials of both stop at subjective symptoms, meaning pain and function scores: in the GAIT trial glucosamine did not beat placebo overall, and the collagen peptide trials are mostly small. Neither has been shown to rebuild cartilage.

Read full story

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What collagen looks like

EVIDENCEREVIEW 1

READ THE ORIGINAL

Collagen is the scaffolding that holds the body up. The structure of skin, bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, vessel walls and the white of the eye is mostly built from it. It is also the most abundant protein in the body, about 25–30% of all protein.

It is shaped like three strands of rope twisted together: three α chains wound into one right-handed helix. How firmly the rope holds depends on whether the prolines along the chain have had a hydroxyl group (-OH) added inside the cell, turning them into hydroxyproline. The enzyme that does this cannot work without vitamin C (the chapter Collagen needs vitamin C is about that step).

So this scaffolding is built by your own cells; eaten collagen is not bolted on directly. Eating collagen is not the same as growing collagen. The gelatin and collagen peptide powder on the shelf are both this rope cut into shorter pieces. They differ mainly in whether they dissolve easily and whether you can cook with them; their amino acid make-up is almost the same.

Educational content, not medical advice — consult a clinician.

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Collagen peptides

Story

Connected to · 4

synergy · 1

Training injuries
Shaw 2017 was a crossover trial in just 8 healthy men: 15 g of vitamin C-enriched gelatin 1 hour before rope skipping doubled a blood marker of type I collagen synthesis afterwards. That shows a stronger synthesis signal; whether it helps an injured tendon recover was not tested.

cofactor · 1

Glycine
About a third of the amino acids in collagen are glycine, so making collagen each day uses up a good deal of glycine. Some researchers have estimated that the body's own glycine production cannot meet the demand of collagen synthesis; that is the chemical basis for supplementing collagen peptides or glycine, though the estimate has not been tested against health outcomes in people.

contrast · 2

Joints · Cartilage & Tendon
The promise that collagen peptides fix joints goes too far. In a 24-week trial of college athletes with activity-related joint pain, those taking collagen hydrolysate improved more on pain scores, but that is a signal about symptoms, not evidence that cartilage was rebuilt. First-line care for joints is still exercise plus weight loss.
Glucosamine + Chondroitin
These two joint supplements are often compared, but the trials of both stop at subjective symptoms, meaning pain and function scores: in the GAIT trial glucosamine did not beat placebo overall, and the collagen peptide trials are mostly small. Neither has been shown to rebuild cartilage.

Read full story

Stop 1/5

What collagen looks like

EVIDENCEREVIEW 1

READ THE ORIGINAL

Collagen is the scaffolding that holds the body up. The structure of skin, bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, vessel walls and the white of the eye is mostly built from it. It is also the most abundant protein in the body, about 25–30% of all protein.

It is shaped like three strands of rope twisted together: three α chains wound into one right-handed helix. How firmly the rope holds depends on whether the prolines along the chain have had a hydroxyl group (-OH) added inside the cell, turning them into hydroxyproline. The enzyme that does this cannot work without vitamin C (the chapter Collagen needs vitamin C is about that step).

So this scaffolding is built by your own cells; eaten collagen is not bolted on directly. Eating collagen is not the same as growing collagen. The gelatin and collagen peptide powder on the shelf are both this rope cut into shorter pieces. They differ mainly in whether they dissolve easily and whether you can cook with them; their amino acid make-up is almost the same.

Educational content, not medical advice — consult a clinician.