By Maria Rodriguez As an athlete, do you know of anyone who takes collagen or have you, yourself, ever considered taking it? In general, collagen supplementation is a growing tendency among athletes. There have been claims that collagen aims to improve athletic performance and aid in rehabilitation due to its preconceived benefits like:
But first, what is collagen? Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It accounts about 30% of the protein in our body, and it is found in ligaments, tendons, and bones. The main function of collagen is to give structure, support, and strength to the body. Since the tissues that collagen aids are under a lot of stress daily, the protein requirement to repair these daily processes would be high. There are several types of collagen, but they are mostly comprised by three amino acids. The following types of collagen and their main corresponding tissues are:
The production of collagen is made by the body, and is reduced while we age, when breakdown occurs at a faster pace. In fact, there is growing population data that estimates 80% of the American population in their 80´s have had a connective tissue injury in their lifetime related to the breakdown of collagen (Burke, 2015; Dressler, 2023; Khatri, 2021). Due to the aforementioned, humans have created collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen is as supplement that consists of small pieces of protein derived from animal collagen. It comes in pills or powder form. Most of the sources are bovine or marine, but there are some chicken, eggs, and vegan sources too. The bovine sources are mostly collagen types l and lll, but the marine sources are type l, so the sources you use will depend on what you are seeking. Most of the time collagen supplements are used by people as a substitute of collagen production that the body has lost with age. Recently, it has also been used as a way to improve athletic performance, prevent, and treat some injuries or diseases like osteoarthritis. It is also important to mention that when collagen is ingested, the body cannot absorb it in its whole form. To be able to absorb it, collagen needs to be broken down into smaller amino acid chains. With the help of Vitamin C, and low physical activity the body is able to break down collagen much more easily (Jordan M. at al. 2021). Several studies suggest the intake of 10-15 grams per day of collagen is beneficial, but the dose may depend on each person’s individual goals (Khatri et Al., 2021). If you compete, you most make sure that the supplements you are ingesting are all allowed by the NCAA or the association you are competing in.
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April 2023
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