Collagen peptides supplementation improves function, pain, and physical and mental outcomes in active adults

Kviatkovsky SA, Hickner RC, Cabre HE, Small SD, Ormsbee MJ · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

The only randomized comparison of two collagen doses against placebo with a knee endpoint, and the higher dose was not the better one. Activities of daily living and KOOS pain improved on 10 g/day at 6 months, with the pain effect confined to people exercising more than 180 min/week. The 20 g/day arm improved the physical component of a general health survey, in women only. No dose-ordered pattern across the endpoints.

Population

Healthy middle-aged active adults, followed for 9 months

Intervention

10 g/day or 20 g/day collagen peptides

Comparator

Placebo

Limitations

Findings are scattered across subgroups defined by sex and exercise volume, which is where false positives live. Group sizes are not stated in the abstract. Registered outcomes span 3, 6 and 9 months on two questionnaires with many subscales. Competing interests: none declared, and the work was NIH-supported — this is one of the few collagen dose trials with no manufacturer in the author list.