Dietary collagen peptides alleviate exercise-induced muscle soreness in healthy middle-aged males: a randomized double-blinded crossover clinical trial

Advancements in Regenerative Therapies for Orthopedics: A Comprehensive Review of Platelet-Rich Plasma, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Peptide Therapies, and Biomimetic Applications

Background/Objectives: Regenerative therapies have gained interest in orthopedic applications for their potential to enhance tissue regeneration, functional recovery, and pain modification. This review evaluates the clinical efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), peptide-based treatments, and biomimetic materials in orthopedic care, with a focus on pain reduction and functional outcomes. Methods: A structured literature search in PubMed (January 2009-January 2025) identified 160 studies. After applying inclusion criteria prioritizing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical trials, 59 studies were included: 20 on PRP, 20 on MSCs, 10 on peptide therapies, and 7 on biomimetics. Data extraction focused on pain reduction and functional recovery, with risk of bias assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB) tool and ROBINS-I tool. A random-effects meta-regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of therapy type, sample size, and risk of bias on reported pain reduction outcomes. Results: Meta-regression analysis identified MSC therapy as the most effective intervention for pain reduction (β = 8.45, p < 0.05), with PRP and peptide-based therapies showing moderate improvements, and biomimetic therapies demonstrating the lowest effect. PRP provided short-term pain relief, particularly in acute injuries and tendon repair, though inconsistencies in preparation methods limited success in chronic conditions. MSC therapies demonstrated cartilage regeneration and early osteoarthritis improvement, but high costs and ethical concerns remain barriers to widespread adoption. Peptide-based therapies and biomimetic materials, including engineered scaffolds and autologous protein solutions, showed promise for infection control and wound healing, though further research is needed to optimize dosing, delivery methods, and long-term safety. Conclusions: Regenerative therapies offer significant potential in orthopedic care, with MSC therapies demonstrating the most reliable regenerative effects, PRP providing short-term symptomatic relief, and peptide-based and biomimetic treatments emerging as promising adjuncts. However, standardized protocols and large-scale clinical trials are needed to establish long-term efficacy and improve clinical translation for broader adoption.

The Effects of Type I Collagen Hydrolysate Supplementation on Bones, Muscles, and Joints: A Systematic Review

Introduction

Musculoskeletal discomfort is prevalent in primary care, with conditions such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis being significant contributors. Collagen, particularly type I, is a major structural protein found in connective tissues. The supplementation of type I hydrolyzed collagen has been investigated for its potential benefits in musculoskeletal health.

Objective

This systematic review aims to evaluate the current literature on the effects of type I hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on bones, muscles, and joints.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted in August 2024 using four electronic databases - PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and CINAHL. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews evaluating oral supplementation with type I hydrolyzed collagen. Exclusion criteria were pre-clinical studies, experimental studies, studies not focusing on type I hydrolyzed collagen, studies with beauty-related endpoints, studies that combined collagen with other ingredients, and unblinded, nonrandomized, and uncontrolled trials.

Results

Out of 4,246 articles screened, 36 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. The study protocols varied in population, health conditions, and study duration. Studies focused on bone health faced limitations that prevent definitive conclusions about the effects of collagen supplementation. In contrast, studies on joint health reported beneficial outcomes, such as pain reduction, improvements in clinical parameters, increased physical mobility, and enhanced ankle function. The muscle health studies were inconsistent, with positive effects predominantly observed when supplementation was associated with physical exercise.

Conclusion

Collagen supplementation demonstrates promising results. However, heterogeneity among studies limits the generalizability of findings. Future research should prioritize standardized protocols and consistent outcome measures.

Comparing the Effects of Collagen Hydrolysate and Dairy Protein on Recovery from Eccentric Exercise: A Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

BACKGROUND

Consuming collagen hydrolysate (CH) may improve symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD); however, its acute effects have not been compared to dairy protein (DP), the most commonly consumed form of protein supplement. Therefore, this study compared the effects of CH and DP on recovery from EIMD.

METHODS

Thirty-three males consumed either CH (n = 11) or DP (n = 11), containing 25 g of protein, or an isoenergetic placebo (n = 11) immediately post-exercise and once daily for three days. Indices of EIMD were measured before and 30 min and 24, 48, and 72 h after 30 min of downhill running on a -15% slope at 80% of VO2max speed.

RESULTS

Downhill running induced significant EIMD, with time effects (all p < 0.001) for the delayed onset of muscle soreness (visual analogue scale), countermovement jump height, isometric midthigh pull force, maximal voluntary isometric contraction force, running economy, and biomarkers of muscle damage (creatine kinase) and inflammation (interleukin-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein). However, no group or interaction effects (all p > 0.05) were observed for any of the outcome measures.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the post-exercise consumption of CH or DP does not improve indices of EIMD during the acute recovery period in recreationally active males.

Impact of Collagen Peptide Supplementation in Combination with Long-Term Physical Training on Strength, Musculotendinous Remodeling, Functional Recovery, and Body Composition in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Over the past decade, collagen peptide (CP) supplements have received considerable attention in sports nutrition research. These supplements have shown promising results in improving personal health, enhancing athletic performance, and preventing injuries in some but not all studies.

OBJECTIVE

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has been conducted to investigate the effects of long-term daily collagen peptide (CP) supplementation on strength, musculotendinous adaptation, functional recovery, and body composition in healthy adults, both with and without concurrent exercise interventions over several weeks.

METHODS

The PRISMA with PERSiST guidelines were followed for this systematic literature review, which was conducted in December 2023 using PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus databases. Eligible studies included healthy, normal to overweight adults over 17 years of age who engaged in exercise and daily collagen peptide (CP) supplementation for a minimum of 8 weeks (except one 3-week trial only included for maximal strength). Studies examining recovery-related outcomes were also eligible if they included a 1-week supplementation period without exercise. Methodological study quality was assessed using the PEDro scale. A random-effects model with standardized mean differences (SMD) of change scores was chosen to calculate overall effect sizes.

RESULTS

Nineteen studies comprising 768 participants were included in both the systematic review and meta-analysis. Results indicate statistically significant effects in favor of long-term CP intake regarding fat-free mass (FFM) (SMD 0.48, p < 0.01), tendon morphology (SMD 0.67, p < 0.01), muscle architecture (SMD 0.39, p < 0.01), maximal strength (SMD 0.19, p < 0.01), and 48 h recovery in reactive strength following exercise-induced muscle damage (SMD 0.43, p = 0.045). The GRADE approach revealed a moderate certainty of evidence for body composition, a very low certainty for tendon morphology and mechanical properties, and a low certainty for the remaining.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review and meta-analysis represents the first comprehensive investigation into the effects of long-term CP supplementation combined with regular physical training on various aspects of musculoskeletal health in adults. The findings indicate significant, though of low to moderate certainty, evidence of improvements in fat-free mass (FFM), tendon morphology, muscle mass, maximal strength, and recovery in reactive strength following exercise-induced muscle damage. However, further research is required to fully understand the mechanisms underlying these effects, particularly regarding tendon mechanical properties and short-term adaptations to collagen peptide (CP) intake without exercise, as observed in recovery outcomes. Overall, CP supplementation appears promising as a beneficial adjunct to physical training for enhancing musculoskeletal performance in adults. Open Science Framework (Registration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/WCF4Y ).

The Effects of Collagen Peptides as a Dietary Supplement on Muscle Damage Recovery and Fatigue Responses: An Integrative Review

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

The oral administration of hydrolyzed collagen peptides is a scientifically validated intervention for enhancing skeletal muscle health and performance. This integrative review consolidates the evidence supporting the use of low molecular weight collagen peptides (2000-3500 daltons) for their superior bioavailability and absorption. Our objective was to review the effects of collagen peptide or hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on muscle damage, recovery, and construction related to physical exercise.

METHODS

A bibliographic search was conducted in major English-language databases, including PubMed/Medline, using terms like "Peptides Collagen and Damage" and "collagen peptides AND Soreness Muscle". This review followed PRISMA guidelines, with bias risk assessed via the PEDro scale. The inclusion criteria were (a) randomized clinical trials, (b) randomized studies in humans with a control or placebo group, (c) studies assessing muscle damage or delayed onset muscle soreness via physiological markers or strength performance tests, and (d) studies using hydrolyzed collagen or collagen peptides.

RESULTS

Initially, 752 articles were identified. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, including duplicate removal, eight articles with 286 participants were included. Of these, 130 participants received collagen peptide supplementation, while 171 received a placebo or control.

CONCLUSION

This integrative review supports the potential of collagen peptide supplementation to mitigate muscle stress from acute strenuous resistance training. However, due to the methodological heterogeneity among the studies, further clinical trials are needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying muscle improvement with collagen supplementation.

Dietary Collagen Peptides Ameliorate the Mood Status of Fatigue and Vigor: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Comparative Trial

The mood status of fatigue can impact daily activities. Dietary collagen peptides have been reported to be beneficial for health conditions. A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study investigated the effects of collagen peptides on mood status including fatigue, physical condition, and immunological status. The participants who were healthy but easily fatigued consumed active food containing collagen peptides (10 g/day) (n = 33) or placebo food (n = 33) for eight weeks. POMS® 2 was used to assess the perceived fatigue and other mood status. The primary outcome was the T-scores of Fatigue-Inertias at eight weeks. In addition, their physical condition and immunological parameters were evaluated. The data set was a per protocol set of 31 participants each in both groups. As for POMS® 2, the T-score of Fatigue-Inertias at eight weeks was significantly lower in the active group than in the placebo group (47.0 ± 7.4 versus 51.5 ± 9.0, p = 0.045). The T-score of Vigor-Activity was significantly higher in the active group than in the placebo group after eight weeks (53.9 ± 10.7 versus 47.3 ± 9.6, p = 0.002). Regarding the questionnaire on the physical condition, the Likert scale score on fatigue after a night's sleep at eight weeks was significantly lower in the active group than in the placebo group (median; 3.0 versus 4.0, p = 0.038). There were no significant differences in the measured values of immunological parameters. No safety-related issues were reported in this trial. The intake of collagen peptides (10 g/day) for eight weeks ameliorated the mood status of fatigue and vigor and increased the feeling of sleep restfulness. Dietary collagen peptides were efficient and safe nutritional ingredients for healthy but easily fatigued individuals.Clinical trial registry number and website: UMIN-CTR, UMIN000042291 https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000048280.

Reduction in systemic muscle stress markers after exercise-induced muscle damage following concurrent training and supplementation with specific collagen peptides - a randomized controlled trial

Introduction

Collagen peptide supplementation in conjunction with exercise has been shown to improve structural and functional adaptations of both muscles and the extracellular matrix. This study aimed to explore whether specific collagen peptide (SCP) supplementation combined with a concurrent training intervention can improve muscular stress after exercise-induced muscle damage, verified by reliable blood markers.

Methods

55 sedentary to moderately active males participating in a concurrent training (CT) intervention (3x/week) for 12 weeks were administered either 15 g of SCP or placebo (PLA) daily. Before (T1) and after the intervention (T2), 150 muscle-damaging drop jumps were performed. Blood samples were collected to measure creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), myoglobin (MYO) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) before, after, and at 2 h, 24 h and 48 h post exercise.

Results

A combination of concurrent training and SCP administration showed statistically significant interaction effects, implying a lower increase in the area under the curve (AUC) of MYO (p = 0.004, ηp2 = 0.184), CK (p = 0.01, ηp2 = 0.145) and LDH (p = 0.016, ηp2 = 0.133) in the SCP group. On closer examination, the absolute mean differences (ΔAUCs) showed statistical significance in MYO (p = 0.017, d = 0.771), CK (p = 0.039, d = 0.633) and LDH (p = 0.016, d = 0.764) by SCP supplementation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, 12 weeks of 15 g SCP supplementation combined with CT intervention reduced acute markers of exercise-induced muscle damage and improved post-exercise regenerative capacity, as evidenced by the altered post-exercise time course. The current findings indicate that SCP supplementation had a positive effect on the early phase of muscular recovery by either improving the structural integrity of the muscle and extracellular matrix during the training period or by accelerating membrane and cytoskeletal protein repair.

Clinical trial registration

https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05220371?cond=NCT05220371&rank=1, NCT05220371.

Influence of specific collagen peptides and 12-week concurrent training on recovery-related biomechanical characteristics following exercise-induced muscle damage-A randomized controlled trial

Introduction

It has been shown that short-term ingestion of collagen peptides improves markers related to muscular recovery following exercise-induced muscle damage. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether and to what extent a longer-term specific collagen peptide (SCP) supplementation combined with a training intervention influences recovery markers following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage.

Methods

Fifty-five predominantly sedentary male participants were assigned to consume either 15 g SCP or placebo (PLA) and engage in a concurrent training (CT) intervention (30 min each of resistance and endurance training, 3x/week) for 12 weeks. Before (T1) and after the intervention (T2), eccentric muscle damage was induced by 150 drop jumps. Measurements of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), rate of force development (RFD), peak RFD, countermovement jump height (CMJ), and muscle soreness (MS) were determined pre-exercise, immediately after exercise, and 24 and 48 h post-exercise. In addition, body composition, including fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), body cell mass (BCM) and extracellular mass (ECM) were determined at rest both before and after the 12-week intervention period.

Results

Three-way mixed ANOVA showed significant interaction effects in favor of the SCP group. MVC (p = 0.02, ηp2 = 0.11), RFD (p < 0.01, ηp2 = 0.18), peak RFD (p < 0.01, ηp2 = 0.15), and CMJ height (p = 0.046, ηp2 = 0.06) recovered significantly faster in the SCP group. No effects were found for muscle soreness (p = 0.66) and body composition (FM: p = 0.41, FFM: p = 0.56, BCM: p = 0.79, ECM: p = 0.58).

Conclusion

In summary, the results show that combining specific collagen peptide supplementation (SCP) and concurrent training (CT) over a 12-week period significantly improved markers reflecting recovery, specifically in maximal, explosive, and reactive strength. It is hypothesized that prolonged intake of collagen peptides may support muscular adaptations by facilitating remodeling of the extracellular matrix. This, in turn, could enhance the generation of explosive force.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier ID: NCT05220371.