collagen use for athletes: why now?

Athletes have recently discovered the benefits of collagen to help support performance. Skincare products have long reported the benefits of collagen as an ingredient to help smooth wrinkles, but recent studies using collagen supplementation have found that, when taken orally, collagen can increase the rate of recovery time from injury, helping athletes return to play more quickly. However, more and more athletes from a range of sports are regularly taking collagen supplements as a preventative measure to reduce the chance of injury occurring (Lis & Baar, 2019). Collagen supplementation increases the synthesis of collagen in the body, improving connective tissue (Katarzyna & Walczak, 2009). Collagen is typically sold commercially as hydrolyzed collagen or collagen peptides. Hydrolyzed collagen is water-soluble and can be digested and incorporated into connective tissue (Shaw et al., 2017). In tendon, ligament, skin and bone collagen is the main structural protein (Kjaer, 2004). For athletes, the integrity of these tissues is crucial for producing force, this will have an effect on performance and the ability to sustain high levels of performance without injury (Lis & Baar, 2019). Where does it come from? If you are a vegetarian or vegan you can stop reading now. Collagen is formed from the bones, skin, and connective tissue of animals. Sorry, but there is no vegetarian alternative (as much as someone might try and sell you one).

Athletic Performance and Injury

The demands of high-level sport make injury more likely for athletes. Whilst nutrition has predominantly played a role in supporting training and competition, Performance Nutritionists are recognizing that appropriate nutritional choices can enhance recovery and reduce the risk of injuries (Close et al., 2019).  The most common injuries reported in elite sport are musculoskeletal soft tissue injuries. The high rate of musculoskeletal injury is in part due to the stiffness of the muscular system. Musculoskeletal stiffness is directly connected to an athlete’s performance; sprinting speed in maximal and intermittent sport is related to musculoskeletal stiffness, in endurance sport, stiffness provides economy of movement (Baar, 2015).  An increase in stiffness also gives rise to an increase in injury, ‘when the tendon is stiffer than the muscle is strong, the protective effect of the tendon is lost and the muscle ruptures’ (Baar, P. 1, 2015). Approximately half of injuries result in athletes having to take time out from training and competition (Feddermann-Demont et al., 2014). Musculoskeletal injuries account for over 40% of these injuries (Edouard et al., 2016). Whilst these types of injuries are common ‘there have been very few attempts to understand the problem, and as a result, advancements in the prevention and treatment of these injuries have been slow.’ (Baar, P. 1, 2015). In elite individual and team sport, training consistency is an important factor in athlete development, in addition to the financial costs involved when athletes are injured.

Muscle and Connective Tissue

The amount of collagen in connective tissues determines the strength and stiffness of the muscle system  (Baar, 2015). Crosslinks are required to bind collagen molecules together to transfer force effectively. Tendons contain approximately 60% water, acting with the cross-linked collagen to ‘make tendons viscoelastic; they behave as both a liquid and an elastic solid’ (Baar, P. 3, 2015). When moving slowly tendons move more like individual fibers, but once they move fast or have an increased load, they break fewer crosslinks, allowing them to act as a single unit with the ability to transfer more force and increase protection (Baar, P. 3, 2015).  In intermittent sports such as football and rugby, the repeated sprints and loading increases stiffness and potentially increases injury. It was believed that connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons did not respond to exercise, however, recent studies have provided evidence that they respond to loading. In a study using badminton players, Couppe et al (2008) found in their plant leg, the patellar tendon was 20-30% greater than in their trail leg.

How Do I Take Collagen?

About 10 g of hydrolyzed collagen is needed to increase collagen synthesis (it is important to stress that appropriate exercise is also required), typically commercial supplements contain about 20 g of collagen peptides. Vitamin C is required for collagen synthesis and hydrolyzed collagen supplements often contain vitamin C to support effective synthesis (Shaw et al., 2016).

On a Budget? Make Your Own at Home

A novel food-first approach using commercially available gelatin is a possible alternative to hydrolyzed collagen supplementation and a number of studies have explored this approach (Shaw et al. 2016; Lis & Baar, 2019; Close et al., 2019).  Gelatin and hydrolyzed collagen are both derived from collagen. Gelatin is created by boiling the skin, bones, and connective tissue of cattle, pigs, and fish, and hydrolyzed collagen is further broken down by enzymatic hydrolysis to be water-soluble. As they are derived from collagen, they have the same amino acid profile (Close et al., 2019). Gelatin mixtures also reduce the costs of supplementation that can be prohibitive to athletes and teams on smaller budgets. Evidence is provided anecdotally of CrossFit athletes incorporating collagen into their diets through bone broth, in the belief that the slow cooking process and the reduction of bone and tissue release collagen and other nutrients into the broth  (Nelson, 2015). In a novel study by Alcock, Shaw & Burke (2019), bone broth was explored as a potential dietary source of collagen. The authors explored consuming bone broth as a source of collagen but concluded that the composition of bone broth can vary substantially depending on the animal source (Alcock, Shaw and Burke, 2019).

The literature on the use of collagen use in sport and exercise is increasing but is still limited. There are no reported side effects or health issues related to taking collagen supplements. However, due to its animal content, the use of collagen is inhibitive to those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet or those whose religious beliefs prohibit them from eating certain animal products. It is important to inform athletes in advance of the ingredients of collagen to allow them to make a choice whether to take it or not. 

References

Alcock, R. D., Shaw, G. C., & Burke, L. M. (2019). Bone Broth Unlikely to Provide Reliable Concentrations of Collagen Precursors Compared With Supplemental Sources of Collagen Used in Collagen Research. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 29(3), 265–272. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0139

Baar, K. (2015). Training and nutrition to prevent soft tissue injuries and accelerate return to play. Sports Science Exchange, 28(142), 1–6.

Close, G. L., Sale, C., Baar, K., & Bermon, S. (2019). Nutrition for the Prevention and Treatment of Injuries in Track and Field Athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 29(2), 189–197. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0290

Edouard, P., Branco, P., & Alonso, J.-M. (2016). Muscle injury is the principal injury type and hamstring muscle injury is the first injury diagnosis during top-level international athletics championships between 2007 and 2015. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(10), 619. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-095559

Feddermann-Demont, N., Junge, A., Edouard, P., Branco, P., & Alonso, J.-M. (2014). Injuries in 13 international Athletics championships between 2007–2012. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(7), 513. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-093087

Gross, J. (1959). Studies on the formation of collagen. IV. Effect of vitamin C deficiency on the neutral salt-extractible collagen of skin. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 109, 557–569. PubMed ID: 13654628 doi:10.1084/jem.109.6.557

Katarzyna, D., & Walczak, P. (2009). Collagen hydrolysates as a new dietary supplement. Food Chemistry and Biotechnology, 73, 83–91.

Lis, D. M., & Baar, K. (2019). Effects of Different Vitamin C–Enriched Collagen Derivatives on Collagen Synthesis. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 29(5), 526–531. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0385

Nelson, E. (2015). The healing power of bone broth. Retrieved from https://www.theboxmag.com/box-nutrition/healing-power-bone-broth11287

Shaw, G., Lee-Barthel, A., Ross, M. L., Wang, B., & Baar, K. (2017). Vitamin C–enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 105(1), 136–143. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.116.138594