Collagen and sports training

According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it is estimated that the number of consultations in the world, due to musculoskeletal (tendons, muscles, bones) sports injuries is higher than 100 million per year, 50% of which are at tendons and ligaments.

In Quebec, there are approximately 300 thousand consultations a year for these types of injuries. Nevertheless, according to the IOC, these injuries lead to an important decline in sports performance, reduce the functional capacities at work, and have a negative influence in the exercising ability of the general population. A high percentage of these injuries are difficult to treat and many people suffer from pain and difficulties in the long haul.

Whether we practice sports occasionally or professionally, the cause of most injuries becomes apparent during the three following actions:

– Intense repetitive movements

– Overworking, leading to a weakening of bones, cartilages, tendons, ligaments and muscles

– Bad warming-up techniques before training

Available research explains that when practicing sports, the massive pressure on your joints is the main cause of two phenomena. This pressure dehydrates tissues, rendering them more vulnerable and increasing the risk of traumatism. Therefore, all sports that include repetitive movements and sudden high-speed stops can cause damages. Thus, with an impact, tendons, ligaments, muscles and cartilages may present fissures primarily on the surface of joint tissues, generating weaker scarred tissues.

Below you will find some recent studies, which tend to reveal that when there is a sports injury, the usage of hydrolyzed collagen encourages joint health.

Study on collagen assimilation in athletes.

For over a decade, it has been proven that the administration of a hydrolyzed collagen has an influence in the concentration of amino acids in the blood of performance athletes. In the study by Beurker, et al., it was demonstrated that there was a change in the concentration of amino acids in the blood of those athletes who took a hydrolyzed collagen. A significant increase of glycine, proline et l’hydroxyproline was observed.

The administration of a hydrolyzed collagen has shown better results compared to placebos and pain relievers. Eighty one percent of the group taking a hydrolyzed collagen showed a distinct improvement. No change was observed in the group taking a placebo.

Study on extension and flexion leg strength.

In another study by Rippe, et al., it was demonstrated that hydrolyzed collagen has an influence in the isokinetic force. In this study, practiced on 190 patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis over a period of 14 months, leg strength was measured during extension and flexion.

For the group to whom the hydrolyzed collagen was administered, the isokinetic value increased significantly between weeks 8 and 14, whereas in the group taking the placebo, there was no increase or improvement.

Study on mechanical stress on joints.

Another study presented in 2007 at a congress on osteoarthritis by the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) and published in Current Medical Research and Opinion, Vol. 24, Nº 5, 2008, 1485-1496, demonstrated that the administration of hydrolyzed collagen had considerably reduced the symptoms created by the imposition of mechanical stress. A crucial improvement was also confirmed in the case of problematic knee joints; which are for people practicing sports, the joints most affected by pain.

Study on collagen synthesis when practicing.

Finally, a study carried out in 2006 in Denmark (Coordinated collagen and muscle protein synthesis in human patella tendon and quadriceps muscle after exercise by Benjamin F Miller, Jens L Olesen, Mette Hansen, Simon Dssing, Regina M Crameri, Rasmus J Welling, Henning Langberg, Allan Flyvbjerg, Michael Kjaer, John A Babraj, Kenneth Smith, and Michael J Rennie), in which four European universities participated, demonstrated an important increase in the synthesis of collagen in tendons and muscles during intense physical activities.

Therefore, with these studies and researches available, it is possible to demonstrate a clear link between the collagen the organism needs and practicing sports.