Benefits of Collagen Protein for Connective Tissue

Benefits of Collagen

We are, to a large extent, made of protein. Proteins are the components that make up most of our tissues. They play not only a structural role: in tissues such as muscle, myofibrillar proteins including actin and myosin also help produce muscle contraction. Promoting protein synthesis is therefore key to both health and performance.

Among the factors that affect protein synthesis, protein intake plays a fundamental role. Consuming protein, especially alongside physical exercise—particularly resistance exercise—stimulates muscle-protein synthesis. The magnitude of this effect may depend not only on the dose but also on the type of protein consumed. We now know, for example, that protein sources with a high leucine content, such as whey protein, are the most effective at promoting muscle-protein synthesis. Although consuming leucine-rich proteins has been shown to increase myofibrillar protein synthesis, their ability to synthesize another type of protein tissue may be more limited: connective tissue.

Connective Tissue: Can We Increase Its Synthesis?

Connective tissue is a network of proteins responsible for transmitting the force produced by muscles during contraction. This tissue is found both inside and outside muscle fibers and is essential for effective movement. Examples include tendons and cartilage. As with other types of protein tissue, resistance training has been shown to increase connective-tissue synthesis. However, consuming “traditional” proteins such as casein does not appear very effective at maximizing synthesis of this tissue (1). Therefore, it has been proposed that consuming the protein that largely forms connective tissue—collagen—could be a more effective strategy for this purpose.

Although the evidence is still growing and not all results are positive (2), an increasing number of studies support the potential benefits of collagen supplementation for connective-tissue synthesis. For example, two studies published this year in trained young people found that while a resistance-training session alone did not increase connective-tissue synthesis, combining it with 15 or 30 grams of collagen acutely increased synthesis of this protein in a dose-dependent manner: 30 grams produced a greater increase than 15 grams (3,4). Similarly, another study in young people found that a combination of whey protein and collagen—25 and 5 grams, respectively—after a resistance-training session increased both myofibrillar and connective-tissue protein synthesis compared with a placebo (5).

Beyond its acute benefits for connective-tissue synthesis, evidence is also growing for collagen's effects on more tangible outcomes, as shown by a recent meta-analysis published in the prestigious journal Sports Medicine. After including 19 studies and more than 700 participants, the authors found that long-term collagen-protein supplementation—an average of about 15 grams per day for at least 8 weeks—combined with resistance training effectively increased muscle mass and strength and supported recovery from post-exercise muscle damage compared with the same training without supplementation (6). Perhaps, however, the most interesting finding was that collagen supplementation also improved tendon morphology (6).

It is important to mention the controversy surrounding collagen's benefits for muscle-protein synthesis, especially compared with other protein types. One study of older adults in a 12-week training program found that those supplementing with collagen—15 grams per day—gained more muscle mass (1,3 kg more than the placebo group) and muscle strength (more than twice as much as the placebo group) (7). Other authors, however, have found that whey-protein supplementation is more effective than collagen when the goal is to increase myofibrillar protein (8,9). The benefits of collagen protein therefore appear to relate mainly to connective-tissue synthesis.

Conclusions

Although consuming protein in general increases protein synthesis and can support gains in muscle mass and strength and muscle regeneration after training, not all protein types appear to provide the same benefits. Proteins such as whey may be the most effective at increasing myofibrillar protein synthesis, while benefits for connective-tissue synthesis have been observed particularly with collagen protein. Although the evidence is still growing, combining both could therefore provide a comprehensive strategy. Finally, training remains one of the key pillars of protein synthesis, with protein supplementation—regardless of type—providing an additive stimulus to exercise.

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Author

Pedro Valenzuela
Researcher in the Physiology Unit at the University of Alcalá and the Performance Monitoring Unit at the Sports Medicine Center (AEPSAD, Madrid High Performance Center).
Website: www.fissac.com

References

1. Trommelen J, Holwerda AM, Senden JM, Goessens JOYPB, Van Kranenburg J, Gijsen AP, et al. Casein Ingestion Does Not Increase Muscle Connective Tissue Protein Synthesis Rates. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2020;52(9):1983–91.
2. Aussieker T, Hilkens L, Holwerda AM, Fuchs CJ, Houben LHP, Senden JM, et al. Collagen Protein Ingestion during Recovery from Exercise Does Not Increase Muscle Connective Protein Synthesis Rates. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2023;55(10):1792–802.
3. Nulty C, Tang J, Dutton J, Dunn R, Fraser WD, Enright K, et al. Hydrolyzed collagen supplementation prior to resistance exercise augments collagen synthesis in a dose-response manner in resistance-trained, middle-aged men. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2024;327(5):E668–77.
4. Lee J, Tang JCY, Dutton J, Dunn R, Fraser WD, Enright K, et al. The Collagen Synthesis Response to an Acute Bout of Resistance Exercise Is Greater when Ingesting 30 g Hydrolyzed Collagen Compared with 15 g and 0 g in Resistance-Trained Young Men. J Nutr [Internet]. 2024;154(7):2076–86. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.10.030
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6. Bischof K, Moitzi AM, Stafilidis S, König D. Impact of Collagen Peptide Supplementation in Combination with Long-Term Physical Training on Strength, Musculotendinous Remodeling, Functional Recovery, and Body Composition in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sport Med [Internet]. 2024;54(11):2865–88. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02079-0
7. 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. Br J Nutr. 2015;114(8):1237–45.
8. McKendry J, Lowisz C V., Nanthakumar A, MacDonald M, Lim C, Currier BS, et al. The effects of whey, pea, and collagen protein supplementation beyond the recommended dietary allowance on integrated myofibrillar protein synthetic rates in older males: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr [Internet]. 2024;120(1):34–46. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.05.009
9. Oikawa SY, Kamal MJ, Webb EK, McGlory C, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Whey protein but not collagen peptides stimulate acute and longer-term muscle protein synthesis with and without resistance exercise in healthy older women: A randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr [Internet]. 2020;111(3):708–18. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz332