How do collagen and vitamin C help to speed up the repair of ligaments and tendons?

Collagen is the single most important structural protein in the human body. It is abundant in our skin, muscles, cartilage, bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. In almost all connective tissues in the body, collagen gives them the elasticity to stretch but the strength and rigidity to prevent over-stretching, create force, and resist compressive forces making it perhaps the most versatile tissue in the human body. 

Remarkably, collagen is also gram-for-gram stronger than steel!

Tendons and ligaments are made up of primarily Type I collagen and collagen on the whole accounts for between 65 and 80% of the dry weight in protein of tendons and ligaments. As we age, available collagen starts to reduce. You see this in the lines and wrinkles in your skin and you feel this in the niggling aches and pains during day-to-day activities.

Taking part in physical activity and sports further accelerates this reduction in available collagen, leaving connective tissue vulnerable to excessive wear and tear that could lead to damage and injury.

And that’s where collagen supplements with vitamin C come in as an effective way to not only supplement your diet with ready to build collagen peptides, but it also stimulates the natural production of collagen too.

Bovine collagen benefits for athletes

Ingestible collagen supplements have been around for a couple of decades now, but it is only in recent years have they really started to become much wider used by the athletic population. Not only that, more and more research evidence is being done to show efficacy and value for a variety of target tissues and conditions.

Recent studies are confidently reporting that bovine sourced Bioactive Collagen Peptides® (like the ones we use here at U Perform) can support the health, function, repair, and recovery of ligaments and tendons for athletes in particular who are suffering from sprains, strains, and even more serious conditions like tendinopathies, tears, and ruptures with significant results in as little as 12 weeks. 

This is why taking a targeted daily collagen peptide drink such as Active Collagen is an effective nutritional strategy for injury prevention and repair.

goalkeeper kicking a football to a group of players further down the pitch with graphics overlays showing the benefits of U Perform collagen for injury prevention and injury recovery

Targeted support for ligaments & tendons

Active Collagen contains a unique double formulation of TENDOFORTE® and VERISOL® Bioactive Collagen Peptides® proven to optimise recovery from exercise and injury. Soft tissue injuries are incredibly common and become more common the more intense your activity or sport is. 

This is because speed, strength, and power are dependent on tendons being incredibly strong and rigid. Whilst harder tendons are great and may be better for enhancing athletic performance, they also become much more injury prone over time, through excessive wear and tear, and poor recovery strategies.

Degeneration of collagen fibres is the primary cause and when this happens it can take a long time to recover from due to a limited blood supply to tendons and ligaments.

High performing tendons and ligaments need to combine both strength and flexibility. U Perform TENDOFORTE® collagen fibres give them the right elasticity for optimal function and performance so you can keep moving and get off the side-lines quicker.

U Perform Active Collagen gel and container shown surrounded by sliced oranges and splashes of bright orange juice that represent the zingy orange citrus flavour of the collagen gel product.

Vitamin C and collagen supplementation

When taken alongside vitamin C, the benefits of collagen peptides are enhanced further as vitamin C is an important antioxidant and co-factor for collagen biosynthesis in collagen producing cells. This is exactly the reason why U Perform’s Active Collagen contains 100% RDA of vitamin C.

Vitamin C plays several critical roles in the human body. As an antioxidant it protects cells and supports the immune system. And then crucially for athletes, vitamin C also plays a key role in cell turnover and the production of collagen. 

When to take collagen and vitamin C?

This is an ongoing debate and to this day there is no definitive answer. There is some research that has been done that shows vitamin C enriched collagen supplements taken prior to exercise are potentially more effective, however much more research is needed. 

We on the other hand like to keep it simple. After exercise, your body is most primed to take on board key nutrients for repair and refuelling, for example, protein, carbohydrates, water, and electrolytes. 

We also know that the quality of our collagen supplements is so high that they can be taken anytime, and you will still see results!

What about marine collagen and vitamin C?

Another ongoing debate in the supplement world at the moment is Bovine vs. Marine – which is best? Nothing is perfect, but when you are spending your money, you want to make sure you are doing so on the best possible product – doing otherwise just wouldn’t make sense, right!

And that’s why it must be bovine hydrolysed collagen peptides! Almost all the research evidence up to this point has been carried out using collagen from a bovine source. And then if we look at the actual composition of collagen; a bovine source is rich in Type I and III collagen whereas marine collagen is mostly rich in Type I alone – which is great, but it still falls short against bovine.

Mammal to mammal, ingestible bovine collagen also has a far higher bioavailability with Bioactive Collagen Peptides® (like the ones we use) being characterised by having a true digestibility of at least 98% making them a far more effective solution for ligament and tendon injuries. Plus, independent clinical evidence for TENDOFORTE® collagen peptides demonstrates results and benefits that no other collagen has been able to show. You can read more about the evidence by clicking here and heading to our Collagen Science page.


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THE TAKEAWAY

Strong tendons & ligaments contribute to every movement we make (or don’t make) so looking after them with proper nutrition and training could be one of the best decisions you could ever make. U Perform has a range of collagen supplements, each targeted for a different area of the body. So, you can pick one or all 3 to build a collagen recovery nutrition program that is optimised specifically for you and your active lifestyle.

U Perform Active Collagen supplement packaging, featuring a black box with gold accents and a white sachet in front. This liquid collagen formula supports skin, joints, and connective tissues, designed for active individuals and performance recovery. The sachet highlights its citrus flavour and a recommendation from sports scientist Greg Whyte OBE. The product is Informed-Sport certified, ensuring it is tested for banned substances.

Active Collagen

UK's No.1 Prehab & Rehab Collagen Gel

Active Collagen is the UK’s No.1 Sports Collagen Supplement and is formulated specifically to optimise the health, function, and repair of ligaments & tendons. Simply take one gel per day to support optimal injury prevention and recovery...it really is as simple as that!

£33.95

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