Collagen: Incomplete Protein or Vital

Supplement Solution? You Decide!

"With collagen hydrolysate, the participants enjoyed reduced joint pain at rest,
reduced joint pain when walking and standing, reduced joint pain when
carrying objects, as well as reduced joint pain when lifting."
By Bill Campbell, PhD, and Erica Gritzer, University of South Florida

For years, collagen has been ignored as an incomplete protein. Certainly

less than the more popular whey, casein, and even soy. But today,
researchers are taking a new look.

Collagen, it turns out, is a multifunctional protein that is beginning to

gain popularity with a number of diverse types of people, ranging from
those who wish to improve the health of their skin to those who are
treating and/or preventing osteoarthritis to athletes attempting to
decrease and prevent activity-related joint pain.

It is true that there isn't what we'd call a plethora of scientific research
on this valuable protein, yet. Clinical trials investigating the effects of
collagen are becoming more prevalent, however, and the results of
these investigations are promising.

So… What Is Collagen Anyway?

Collagen is the main protein of connective tissue in the human body for
tendons, ligaments, bone, cartilage, and skin. In fact, collagen makes up
about 50% of the whole body protein content. Since collagen does not
contain all the essential amino acids (lacking tryptophan and containing
small amounts of cysteine), it is categorized as an incomplete protein.
However, the protein value of collagen relates not only to its amino acid
composition but also to its combined effect with other nutritional
proteins1.

Collagen protein is derived from animal sources and is most often made
available as "collagen hydrolysate." Collagen hydrolysate simply means
that the collagen protein has been enzymatically or chemically
processed to make it more digestible and more easily absorbed by the
body. Another attribute of collagen hydrolysate is that it possesses
excellent digestibility2, 3. The following summarizes the scientific
literature as it relates to the health-enhancing effects of oral collagen
hydrolysate supplementation:

Role of Collagen in Preventing Joint Disease

Several clinical studies have suggested a role for collagen hydrolysate in

the management of osteoarthritis, based on the fact that hydrolyzed
collagen with its abundant amino acids plays a role in cartilage matrix
synthesis1,4.

"...increase the synthesis of collagen in joints and cartilage

is beneficial for enhancing joint structure and integrity
throughout your life.
According to published research, orally consumed collagen hydrolysate
has been shown to be absorbed intestinally and to accumulate in
cartilage5. Specifically, collagen hydrolysate ingestion stimulates a
significant increase in the synthesis of extracellular matrix
macromolecules by chondrocytes5. Translation: Chondrocytes are cells
found in cartilage that produce and maintain the cartilaginous matrix.
This is a key finding because anything able to increase the synthesis of
collagen in joints and cartilage is beneficial for preventing and treating
osteoarthritis as well as enhancing joint structure and integrity
throughout your life.

This observation is particularly important for physically active

individuals. Ten grams of collagen hydrolysate per day has been shown
to be an effective dosage in clinical trials1,6.

Collagen and Skin Health

Due to collagen hydrolysate's excellent bioavailability status and the fact

that there is a high collagen content in the skin, research has been
conducted on collagen intake and its effects on skin health7.

In one of these clinical investigations, researchers gave healthy

Japanese women 10 grams of collagen hydrolysate or a placebo for 60
days and monitored the hydration status of their skin. A gradual, non-
significant improvement of water absorption capacity was observed in
those women who ingested the collagen hydrolysate in comparison with
the placebo group. The investigator concluded that the unique amino
acid and peptide profile of collagen may have been responsible for the
positive effects observed on skin7.

Presently, there are few clinical investigations studying the effects of

collagen hydrolysate on human skin health and rejuvenation. As to
whether and to what extent administration of collagen hydrolysate is
meaningful in a number of skin conditions or in the prevention of aging
skin will have to be shown in further clinical research trials8. However,
from the point of view of the mechanisms involved, the effects of
collagen hydrolysate ingestion appear to be quite promising8.

Benefits of Collagen Ingestion for Athletes

Athletes, due to their consistent training regimes, impart significantly

greater "ground reaction forces" compared to their sedentary
counterparts. These ground reaction forces are primarily absorbed by
the body's joints, and over time, this can result in joint degradation. For
that reason, any nutritional means that improves the shock-absorbing
capabilities of the joints could prevent injury and allow for
uninterrupted, high-intensity training—something all athletes and fitness
enthusiasts would welcome.

"...any nutritional means that improves the shock-

absorbing capabilities of the joints could prevent injury and
allow for uninterrupted, high-intensity training—something
all athletes and fitness enthusiasts would welcome."
Since collagen hydrolysate has been shown to exert an anabolic
(building) effect on cartilage tissue, there is a strong theoretical
rationale for collagen hydrolysate improving joint structure and integrity
in athletes leading to a reduction in joint pain.

Along this line of inquiry, researchers from Penn State University

investigated the effect of collagen hydrolysate on activity-related joint
pain in athletes who were physically active and had no evidence of joint
disease9. During this 24-week study, the researchers measured joint
pain, mobility, and inflammation. One group of athletes received 25 mL
of a liquid formulation that contained 10 grams of collagen hydrolysate
and another group of athletes received a liquid placebo. At the end of
the 24-week investigation, it was reported that several parameters
showed significant changes with the dietary supplement collagen
hydrolysate compared to the placebo.

With collagen hydrolysate, the participants enjoyed reduced joint pain at

rest, reduced joint pain when walking and standing, reduced joint pain
when carrying objects, as well as reduced joint pain when lifting.

The results of this study have implications for the use of collagen
hydrolysate to support joint health and possibly reduce the risk of joint
deterioration in a high-risk group9 and to help us enjoy even more
activity and intensity in our workouts and lives.

In addition, this study supports the ingestion of collagen hydrolysate to

reduce parameters (i.e., pain) that have a negative impact on athletic
performance.

Conclusion

Collagen protein (in the form of collagen hydrolysate) has been shown
to improve skin hydration and decrease joint pain in both diseased and
athletic populations. In addition, collagen hydrolysate possesses
excellent bioavailability and is a relatively inexpensive source of protein.

So it's easy to understand its growing popularity and why athletes,

fitness enthusiasts, and those attempting to improve their quality of life
may benefit from collagen hydrolysate supplementation. (Again, most of
the clinical studies demonstrated health benefits with ten grams of
collagen hydrolysate per day.)

So don't be surprise if, in the near future, you start seeing a sharp
increase in the number of scientific studies investigating the effects of
collagen hydrolysate, particularly in athletic populations.

References
1
Moskowitz RW. Role of Collagen Hydrolysate in Bone and Joint Disease.
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, 30(2): October, 2000: pp 87-99.

Baziwane D, He Q. Gelatin: the paramount food additive. Food Rev Int.

2

2003: 19:423-435.

3
Oesser S, Adam M, Babel W, et al. Oral administration of 14C labeled
collagen hydrolysate leads to an accumulation of radioactivity in
cartilage of mice. J Nutr. 1999: 129:1891-1895.

4
Seeligmuller K, Happel HK. Can a mixture of gelatin and L-cystine
stimulate proteoglycan synthesis? Therapiewoche 1989; 39: 3153-57.

5
Bello AE, Oesser S. Collagen hydrolysate for the treatment of
osteoarthritis and other joint disorders: a review of the literature. Curr
Med Res Opin. 2006 Nov;22(11):2221-32.

6
Bagchi D, Misner B, Bagchi M, et al. Effects of orally administered
undenatured type II collagen against arthritic inflammatory diseases: a
mechanistic exploration. Int J Clin Pharmacol Res. 2002;22(3-4):101-
10.

7
Zague V. A new view concerning the effects of collagen hydrolysate
intake on skin properties. Arch Dermatol Res. 2008 Oct;300(9):479-83.

8
Adam M. Clinical data on collagen hydrolysate. In: Teppner M, (2004).
Collagen Hydrolysate and its Relationship to Joint Health - A Scientific
Compendium. GELITA Health Initiative, Eberbach, Germany. ISBN 3-
936033-14-5.
9
Clark KL, Sebastianelli W, Flechsenhar KR, et al. 24-Week study on the
use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with
activity-related joint pain. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008 May;24(5):1485-
96.