Can collagen supplements boost my tendon collagen?

Can collagen supplements boost my tendon collagen?

One of the most common signs of ageing is pain, inflammation and stiffness in the joints. For many, this problem develops into osteoarthritis and other similar conditions that can be quite debilitating and reduce one’s quality of life. Part of the cause of this kind of pain is the accelerated loss of collagen that occurs as we get older. Cartilage, ligament and tendon collagen are all key to maintaining the integrity and correct function of our joints – without them the tissues can become swollen, our movements are less smooth and our bones can start to rub against one another.

There are things we can do to fight back against pain and swelling in our joints. Read on to learn some things that have been shown to help many people.

Can collagen supplements boost my tendon collagen?

The short answer is yes, they can. You need a high-quality supplement that contains type I collagen peptides in a high dosage that is very bioavailable. You need to take this supplement consistently over an extended period of time. This will supply your body with the nutrients it needs to accelerate and expand the production of new collagen in your body. In turn, that will counteract the decline in tendon collagen, as well as collagen in your bones, skin and elsewhere.

Collagen supplements contain hydrolysed collagen peptides extracted from fish, cows, pigs or chickens. This means the complete collagen molecules from the bodily tissues of those animals are extracted and put through a process called hydrolysis. This breaks the large, heavy molecules down to smaller chains of amino acids that are readily available for our bodies to absorb. Once in the bloodstream, those amino acids serve as the fuel your body needs to stimulate and maintain a greater level of collagen production. This counteracts the accelerated decline of bodily collagen that occurs with age.

You cannot control where your body builds the new collagen, so the best solution is to have a high dosage and keep taking your supplement for the long haul. The benefits can include:

• Firmer, better-hydrated skin and a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles
• Thicker, fuller hair and nails
• A reduction in swelling and discomfort in the joints
• Increased bone density
• Gains in lean muscle mass

In essence, it will slow and, sometimes, reverse the early signs of ageing by restoring the lost collagen in different parts of the body.

What other nutrients do I need to boost my tendon collagen?

Collagen production can only be increased by supplying your body with an abundance of the amino acids glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. These are the building blocks of the actual collagen, and there is no more powerful way to get them into your body than a high-quality collagen supplement. But there are other nutrients your body needs to activate and maintain the mechanisms by which collagen is formed. These include:

Vitamin B1

Also known as thiamine, vitamin B1 helps to hydrate skin and also plays a key role in both the production and regeneration of collagen.

Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, is another hydrating nutrient that will ensure plenty of moisture is supplied to areas where new collagen is to be formed.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 helps with regulating and stabilising your hormones. Also known as pyrodixine, it can help reduce inflammation in your tendons and elsewhere that would be associated with hormonal imbalance.

Vitamin B12

Cobalamin, or vitamin B12, encourages cellular reproduction which is essential for collagen synthesis.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential for the two enzymes required in collagen synthesis: prolyl hydroxylase, which stabilises collagen molecules, and lysyl hydroxylase, which gives structural strength to cross-linking. It also stabilises the procollagen messenger RNA to regulate and maintain the amount of intercellular collagen.

Other important nutrients

There are many other nutrients that play a role in collagen production. These include copper, zinc, magnesium, antioxidants and more. Joint health is also helped by vitamin D, protein, manganese and various phytochemicals. To really supply your tendon collagen and all the other components of your joints with the nourishment they need, you should be looking at eating a healthy, well-balanced diet to get plenty of nutrients into your body alongside what your collagen supplement supplies.

Things that are bad for your tendon collagen

As with all things relating to your health, there are certain lifestyle elements that are bad for your tendon collagen and the overall condition of your joints. It is down to you to take care of your body in order to have a higher quality of life as you get older and avoid serious health concerns for as long as possible. When it comes to your joints, you should avoid the following risk factors:

Being overweight

It is a stigma that many struggle to overcome, and obesity is not always simple to address. But it is a simple fact that, when required to support a lot of weight, your tendons are placed under a lot of strain. Over time, this can damage the structure of the tissues and harm the tendon collagen. The result of this is joint pain, particularly on the hips, knees and ankles.

Poor diet

As you can probably guess from the previous section, if your diet does not include a broad range of nutrients then your tendon collagen will suffer. Not only will a poor diet mean your body doesn’t produce as much collagen as it could; even worse, excessive consumption of processed carbs and sugars can damage your body’s collagen and reduce your uptake of any important nutrients you do consume.

Lack of exercise

Weight-bearing exercise strengthens your bones and tendons as well as your muscles. This helps improve the structure of the tendons, firming up the collagen and promoting healthy blood flow throughout the regions. Training to excess, however, can place too much strain on those tissues and lead to damage. The main thing is to avoid a sedentary life as your tendons will become weak and your risk of tendonitis can increase.

Smoking

There are very few aspects of your health that smoking does not harm. Smoking obliterates your bodily collagen and can also reduce the amount of oxygen and nutrients that reach your tendons.

What is the best supplement for tendon collagen?

If you have read through the previous sections of this post, you will have seen that there are several requirements you need from a collagen supplement for it to be good for tendon collagen:

1. It needs to contain high-quality type I collagen peptides.
2. It must deliver a high dosage of collagen.
3. The hydrolysed collagen must be highly bioavailable.
4. Ideally, it should include other nutrients like B vitamins and vitamin C.

Kollo ticks all these boxes and more. Firstly, it contains premium grade marine collagen peptides. Marine collagen is almost exclusively type I, extracted from the skin and scales of fish. It is also known to be the most bioavailable form of animal collagen because the molecular structure is very similar to that of human collagen.

We put 10 grams of this collagen into every daily sachet of Kollo. Scientific research has shown that 10 grams per day is enough to improve bone health, while around 5 grams per day is good for joint health and 2.5 grams can deliver the required benefits for skin, hair and nails. So we opted for 10 grams to deliver on the full range of benefits. Within a few months, you could start to experience improvements in your tendon collagen and, by continuing to take the supplement, you could extend these benefits further and make them last.

The Kollo formula includes vitamins B1, B5, B6 and B12, as well as vitamin C. We suspend all that alongside the hydrolysed collagen in a liquid shot to further enhance the bioavailability of the nutrients. It also makes the supplement very easy to incorporate into your daily routine and, with the inclusion of sugar-free natural tropical flavouring, it tastes fantastic!

Standing out from the crowd

Kollo came into existence in 2020 and has won numerous awards in its short existence so far. We have also been featured on ITV This Morning and earned over 2,000 5-star reviews from satisfied customers. We achieved Informed Sport certification to help demonstrate the safety and quality of Kollo, and we attained ‘Amazon’s Choice’ status on Amazon as further evidence of the outstanding quality of Kollo marine collagen supplements.

If you want to learn more about Kollo, we invite you to explore our website. There is a wealth of information on there and our blog section contains answers to virtually any question you could have about collagen supplements. If you still have any queries for us, please visit our contact page or connect with us on social media and we’ll be happy to answer them.