Recovering from an injury can feel like a slow process, whether it's a muscle strain, a ligament sprain, or something more serious like a fracture. As frustrating as it may feel, your body already has what it needs to heal - collagen! However, as we age, our collagen stores start to deplete, which is where supplementation comes in! By adding collagen into your injury recovery plan, you're able to counteract the collagen decline and boost your body's ability to regenerate more collagen, giving any injury the extra support it needs to heal faster and come back stronger.
Here’s how it works:
Collagen helps rebuild damaged tissue
Collagen provides the essential amino acids, including glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, that your body uses to rebuild tissues like tendons, ligaments, muscle and bone. These amino acids stimulate something called fibroblast activity, which is critical for forming new collagen fibres and strengthening the injured area. Glycine and hydroxyproline content is normally quite low in other forms of protein (like whey) making collagen a necessary addition to your supplement stack - you can’t just rely on protein shakes. Collagen essentially speeds up the recovery of tissues while also providing more strength, helping prevent reinjury in the future.
Collagen reduces inflammation
Injuries often trigger inflammation, which can delay healing if it becomes excessive. Glycine (mentioned above) is an amino acid known for its anti-inflammatory properties while also helping regulate the immune response in our bodies. This can help reduce swelling, stiffness and pain while still allowing the natural healing process to occur.
Collagen supports joint recovery
Joint injuries often involve damage to cartilage, the tissue that cushions your bones. Collagen helps stimulate the cells that produce and maintain cartilage, helping to rebuild and strengthen those damaged areas. This supports joint stability and mobility, while also reducing the risk of degeneration over time which could lead to re-injury.
Collagen strengthens bones while they heal
Bone injuries like fractures require collagen to form new bone tissue. Collagen fibres provide the structure for minerals like calcium and phosphorus to bind, forming the dense, strong structure of healthy bone. By supplementing collagen you are able to speed up the repair process and strengthen the already existing bone tissue.
Collagen helps tendons and ligaments heal stronger
Tendons and ligaments actually heal more slowly due to their limited blood supply. Collagen supplementation stimulates collagen synthesis (the production of more collagen) in these tissues, increasing their strength and elasticity over time. Studies have shown that collagen can improve the biomechanical properties of tendons and ligaments (essentially their ability to function effectively under physical stress), making them more durable after an injury occurs.
How to use collagen to optimise repair:
- Daily dose: Aim for at least 20g of collagen a day. Most collagen brands contain on average 8-10g per dose, but our research suggests a daily dose of 20g is needed to reap the benefits on bone, muscle, tendons and ligaments.
- Pair with vitamin C: Taking collagen with vitamin C boosts your body’s ability to produce new collagen, so pair it with a squeeze of lemon water or a supplement.
- Consistency is key: Your body needs time to repair and rebuild, and collagen works best when taken daily.
