No Pain, More Gain. How Collagen Helps Bones, Joints, Tendons and Ligaments.
The fact that exercise is really good for your mental and physical health cannot be called into question. But when a rigorous workout is crippling your bones, joints, tendons and ligaments, you are definitely asking questions.
Probably something along the lines of “why is this good for me again?”
Well, you can be forgiven for that!
However…it’s not the exercise that is causing pain in your joints, it’s your diet. Or, erm, your age. Sorry.
To exercise at peak performance without painful repercussions, your body needs a sufficient amount of nutrients, proteins, vitamins and amino acids.
To be more precise, your body needs a sufficient supply of collagen.
First and foremost, it’s important to note that collagen is the second most abundant substance in our body, after water. Collagen also happens to be the most abundant protein in our body and is often called the body’s scaffolding.
The word collagen actually derives from the ancient Greek word kolla, which means glue. The key benefit of collagen is that it acts as an adhesive that holds the body together and is found in skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues, with its purpose being to provide these body parts with their strength, structure, and elasticity.
Collagen is rich in amino acids, including proline and glycine, which you need to maintain and repair your tendons, bones, and joints.
As we get older, our bodies become less efficient at naturally producing collagen which is why so many men supplement their diet with collagen to keep their bodies in optimal working condition. Without collagen, your joints, tendons and ligaments become stiff don’t function properly. When mobility is hampered during a workout, joint pain is amplified, and the recovery process takes longer.
What are the benefits of Collagen?
Clinical studies showing that supplementing your diet with ingestible collagen can increase your collagen intake and has multiple science-backed benefits such as:
+ providing relief from joint pain
+ boosting muscle mass & strength
+ preventing bone loss
+ improving skin elasticity & hydration
+ promoting heart health
+ increasing hair and nail strength
+ supporting gut health
You could say collagen fights the signs of ageing.
Collagen plays a vital role in providing support and elasticity to connective tissue. It helps bones, tendons and ligaments withstand pressure during stretching and impact.
Tendons and ligaments are crucial to movement. They connect muscle to bone. If they are not strong enough, you’re more prone to injury and will experience stiffness, aches and pains after exercise.
Collagen is also an excellent protein source, packing in more protein per calorie than other sources while containing less sodium and sugar. It is the primary protein in ligaments, tendons and bone. It also stimulates cartilage growth.
Ordinarily, your body produces collagen naturally, but as you hit your thirties and forties your body starts to naturally make less collagen. This is why you feel aches and pains in your joints, tendons and ligaments after a workout.
Collagen supplements help to replace vital proteins that are lost through ageing. By stimulating collagen production, you can bolster your muscles’ support system.
Essential for Recovery
Your muscles absorb copious amounts of amino acids when they are metabolically active. During workouts, muscles devour amino acids at a faster rate and don’t leave enough for other parts of your body.
So if you’re battling achy joints, sore tendons, low energy and longer recovery times, the chances are your body is not producing a sufficient amount of collagen.
Collagen protein helps to build and repair the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage that are stressed during exercise.
Although there are also several protein-rich foods you can eat, which the body can use to make, or synthesize, collagen including beef, pork skin and bone broth, the problem is that these unprocessed sources of amino acids are comparatively difficult for your body to absorb. So, you’d need to consume an enormous amount of bone broth to have any impact on your collagen levels.
Certain vitamins and minerals also help with collagen synthesis. Including Vitamin C, Zinc, Manganese and Copper. Vitamin C plays a vital role in the formation of collagen and acts as antioxidant and helps protect your muscles from damage caused due to oxidative stress.
However, the best and most convenient way to improve collagen synthesis before you exercise is to take a natural collagen supplement.
True story. This doctor says so.
Because collagen helps bones, tendons, joints and ligament to repair quicker, natural collagen supplements are also a post work-out essential when recovering from a training session.
Protein loss occurs in muscles during and after long periods of exercise due to oxidation, inflammatory reactions, and muscle microlesions. Collagen is an excellent protein source, packing in more protein per calorie than other sources while containing less sodium and sugar, and the combination of collagen’s high bioavailability with its high amino acid content makes it an optimal pre and post-workout supplement that rapidly absorbs and can quickly work to help repair and replenish proteins broken down during exercise.
In fact, Glycine is the main amino acid present in collagen and responsible for building muscle tissue and improving its mass, which then helps the body turn food into energy. It can prevent muscles from breaking down by boosting the level of creatine in the body. Boosting creatine in the muscles can help them to perform better in short, intense bursts of activity such as weightlifting or sprinting. Several studies have shown that boosting creatine in the body can lead to increased muscle strength, mass, and power, and it can help with recovery after exercise and rehabilitation after injury.
The Science
Taking collagen regularly helps maintain a healthy cartilage, which is the rubber-like tissue that covers the surface of our joints, protecting them from wear and tear, as well as alleviating joint inflammation and pain.
Clinical trials have shown supplementation with collagen may reduce activity and exercise-related joint pain. High impact activities and high-intensity sports exert stress on joints that can lead to pain and injury:
A meta-analysis of five randomized placebo-controlled trials involving more than 500 people with osteoarthritis found that taking collagen daily for an average of 24 weeks led to significant improvements in joint stiffness and joint pain.
A joint study by Harvard Medical School and Tufts Medical Centre showed that the patients taking Collagen had “significant re-growth of damaged cartilage” after a year.
A separate study conducted by Penn State University showed that 73 athletes who consumed collagen daily for 24 weeks experienced a significant decrease in joint pain while walking and at rest, compared with the group that did not take it.
In another study, adults that took collagen daily for 70 days had a significant reduction in joint pain and were better able to engage in physical activity than those who did not take it.
Studies have also shown that taking Collagen with Vitamin C (which plays an essential role in collagen synthesis in our bodies) (1) helps maintain healthy cartilage, the tissue that covers the surface of our joints, protecting them from wear and tear and (2) helps with the healing of tendons bone and ligament grafts (our HIMMENSE daily collagen drink also contains 100% of your NRV of Vitamin C).
Ingestible collagen has multiple science-backed benefits including fighting the signs of ageing like sagging skin as well as protecting your soft tissues and joints, enhancing your muscle repair and recovery after exercise and supporting flexibility, mobility, and cushioning, which is why so many men supplement their diet with collagen protein to keep their bodies in optimal working condition.
Natural Collagen Supplements
Studies that have looked at the absorption of collagen peptides found marine collagen tends to be absorbed 1.5 times better than bovine collagen due to its low molecular weight. Studies also show hydrolysed collagen seems to be well absorbed in general and can boost circulating levels of important amino acids.
Clinical studies show that HIMMENSE SHIFT's key ingredient, Type I hydrolysed marine collagen peptides, can have a beneficial effect on the appearance of skin, boost muscle mass, promote heart health, support gut health and reduce joint pain when taken daily for 12 weeks. It is thought that collagen supplements may give our natural collagen production support by triggering our body to ramp up its collagen synthesis. We highlight some of these studies here.
Furthermore, Marine collagen is more sustainably produced and has less impact on the environment than for example bovine collagen which is sourced from animals (cows & pigs). Marine collagen peptides are made from the skins and scales of fish that would otherwise be discarded in the fillet process. And there is a lower risk of contaminants as Marine Collagen does not pose any known risk of transmissible diseases. Marine collagen is not recommended for those with allergies to fish - sorry about that.
What Type of Collagen is Best?
Well, we’re convinced it’s HIMMENSE SHIFT! Why? Because each 20ml ready to drink sachet contains 6000mg of hydrolyzed marine collagen protein plus vitamin C, for normal collagen formation, as well as vitamins B5 (pantothenic acid), B6, B12, D3, Selenium and Ashwagandha for multiple health benefits. So, however you like to work out, HIMMENSE SHIFT helps you HIIT it every time.
At HIMMENSE, we know men want to look and feel their best which is why we’ve made sure our SHIFT collagen protein drink for men has no added sugar, artificial sweeteners, flavours or colours, lactose, gluten, dairy, soya, wheat, starch, yeast, animal fat, alcohol, emulsifying agents or soy lecithin. Win win.
Furthermore, our advanced formula, has been developed and produced especially for HIMMENSE by a UK-based manufacturer of Nutritional Supplements. Their facility is British Retail Consortium (BRC) quality accredited to the latest Global Food Standards and employs HACCP quality protocols. It is also registered with the FDA.
So, join the plus side and shop HIMMENSE SHIFT here.
For further tips on protecting your joints and soft tissues read this.
Read more Men's Health & Lifestyle blogs from HIMMENSE here.
Published 4 March 2022
