A FOCUS on Collagen
October 20, 2022
A FOCUS on Collagen
We are talking about Collagen today. Collagen comes from the Greek word kala spelt with a K, which means glue, and collagens strong fibres, tend to work like glue to hold things together in the body. So, collagen is holding muscle, bone tendon, ligaments, organs under skin all together! Collagen is a popular supplement for promoting skin and connective tissue health, today we are:
- Explaining why we’ve chosen to talk about COLLAGEN today and why it’s potentially supportive for a runner
- Discussing what is COLLAGEN and what nutrients are required for collagen synthesis
- Giving our insights into using Collagen as a supplement to support endurance running
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SHOW NOTES
A FOCUS on Collagen
(05:32)
What collagen is, why it is so important and what role it plays in the body – important for everyones health but especially for endurance runners to consider.
(12:06)
What contributes to a depletion in collagen status:
- General ageing from our 20’s onwards
- Menopause
- High sugar diet
- Smoking
- Sunlight
(17:37)
The nutrients required by the body to make collagen and how you may optimise your food plan to include these vital nutritional building blocks.
(19:03)
Our thoughts on whether diet alone can help with nutrient status for collagen production.
(20:33)
Our suggestions on how you may optimise your food plan to include amino acids, glycine and proline alongside Vitamin C, Zinc and Copper plus tips on making or buying a bone broth. Our favourite bone broths are from
(23:02)
What may a vegetarian or vegan add to their food plan to optimise collagen production.
(25:52)
Aileen’s favourite Marine Collagen supplement – Your Zooki Collagen and a vegan alternative Feel Pro Collagen check end of show notes for discount codes.
(31:56)
Reading supplement collagen labels and understanding about what you may be buying.
(34:46)
A relatively new development in collagen supplement are Specific Collagen Peptides – what are they and how do they work.
(37:53)
A quick review of:
Improvement of activity-related knee joint discomfort following supplementation of specific collagen peptides
The study on young, physically active individuals demonstrated that the daily intake of 5 g of collagen peptides led to a statistically significant reduction in activity-related knee joint pain after a 12-week treatment compared with placebo.
The improvement on joint discomfort was also accompanied by a statistically significantly reduced need for additional therapies such as physiotherapy or ice packs.
Overall, the study confirmed the efficacy of collagen peptide intake on activity-related knee joint discomfort making it a potentially interesting option for the treatment of joint pain induced by physical stress.
(40:51)
A quick review of:
Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides in Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: Long-Term Observation in Postmenopausal Women
Initially 131 women had taken part in a study looking at the effects of specific collagen peptides on bone mineral density (BMD) in subjects with osteoporosis or osteopenia. Collagen peptides are thought to improve calcium retention and directly influence bone metabolism by releasing growth hormones and regulating the osteoblast function.
The purpose of this follow-up was to determine the longer-term effects of the same specific bioactive collagen peptides after a total intervention time of 4 years. The follow up involved 13 women. In the follow-up, a daily intake of 5 g of specific collagen peptides showed a progressive increase in BMD, indicating an increased anabolic bone metabolism in postmenopausal women.
Female Factors
A FOCUS ON Collagen
By the time women reach menopause we may have lost 2/3 of our ability to produce collagen compared with our 20 -year-old self! This may be the main reason women in this phase of life notice changes in skin and tone of muscles – we may get wrinkles and notice sagging!
Mid-life runners also may be more susceptible to tendon injuries – for example stresses and tears in rotator cuffs, joints, achilles tendons. Oestrogen levels reduce during the menopause transition and that is one of the main drivers of bone loss and as we mentioned earlier when we lose bone, we lose both minerals and the collagen protein matrix.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A FOCUS ON Collagen
1. Type 1 Collagen makes up 70-80% of ligaments, tendons, joints and muscles and 90% of bones, skin and hair.
2. Collagen is made naturally by the body – its key building blocks are amino acids- Glycine, Proline and one other available amino acid plus Vitamin C, Copper and Zinc – so it’s key to optimise your food plan to include these vital nutrients.
3. Collagen is important for the health of connective tissue, bones and gut health.
4. As we age there is a natural decline in our ability to produce collagen and during the menopause transition, we may lose collagen alongside bone loss.
5. Also, a high sugar diet, smoking and excessive sunlight may contribute to a lower collagen status.
6. Read supplement labels and websites to check you are getting the best source of collagen.
7. Specific bioactive collagen peptides are the newest collagen supplements which are designed to target specific parts of the body. WATCH this space we’ll share more in future episodes.
8. Use our special discount code RUNNERSHEALTHHUB20 when purchasing Your Zooki Collagen or if you prefer a vegan alternative Feel Pro Collagen use code Partner10 at WeAreFeel for 10% off your first months subscription.
