Injuries are incredibly common in the sport of triathlon, with some reports claiming an average rate of 2 injuries per every 1000 hours of training completed. It is also no surprise to hear that it is from running and general overtraining that the majority of these injuries occur.
Given the high prevalence of injuries then in the sport of triathlon, nutritional strategies that minimise the loss of training time due to injury and or improve the quality and speed of daily and injury recovery are highly likely to determine the quality of both short- and long-term performance in training and competition and should therefore be a key priority for all athletes, coaches, and clubs.
The goal of your recovery strategy should be to enhance the robustness, resilience, and performance of tissues such as: muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. Collagen is the primary structural protein that forms the structure of these tissues and as the intensity and volume of training increases and, as we get older, there is less available collagen in the human body to facilitate recovery and repair.
Moving between the 3 disciplines of triathlon is not only mentally taxing but also physically too. The demanding and repetitive nature of each of the 3 sports mean that improper technique and movement patterns, overtraining and often incorrect equipment choices can all create extra stress on parts of the body that shouldn’t be taking on that load in the first place.
High quality and specific collagen supplements are proving to be effective for day-to-day recovery from exercise and training as well as in structured rehabilitation and prehabilitation programs. By adding more collagen to these tissues this ultimately make for a stronger and more injury resistant structure that will better withstand the stress of training and competition as well as against the stresses and strains of everyday life too.
Bioactive Collagen Peptides® (like the ones we use here at U Perform), are not only useful for adding more collagen into the system, but they are also proven to kickstart the body’s own natural production of collagen again! With clinical studies showing up to a 65% improvement in just 56 days.
Despite losses due to age, physical activity, or injury, we can see an overall significant net gain in available collagen to support the recovery and adaptation of key structural tissues in the human body.
But what does this mean?
It means greater consistency in training, a greater capacity to increase and tolerate the volume and intensity of training… put simply, it means U Perform is Your Proven Advantage. And with a range of clinically proven and athlete approved collagen recovery products we are confident you will be able to Train Harder, Recover Faster and smash your next triathlon!
The number one goal for any triathlon training plan is to enable you as the athlete to reach your goal race (or races) in the best physical and mental shape you can possibly be. The last thing we want then is to have that journey changed or stopped as a result of niggling aches, pains, or injuries.
Swimming, cycling, and running all affect and challenge the body in different ways – different movement patterns, different forces etc. but what they all have in common is their ability to push the body to and beyond its limits resulting in injury to important connective tissues such as ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
U Perform’s signature Active Collagen gels are a unique and science backed formulation of TENDOFORTE® Bioactive Collagen Peptides® and are becoming widely used for the prevention and treatment of ligament and tendon injuries in the sport of triathlon.
For example, one study by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) examined the benefits of TENDOFORTE® over a period of 6 months. The participants were 20 runners with long-term symptoms of chronic Achilles tendinopathy, not responding to any traditional therapies, and being unable to train.
Within 3 months, 12 out of 20 participants were able to return to running after starting a therapy with a daily intake of 5g of TENDOFORTE®. What’s more, the benefits continued, and more runners returned to training in the following 3 months.
High performing tendons and ligaments combine both strength and flexibility for optimal function and recovery. The results from this study, and others like it show that U Perform TENDOFORTE® collagen fibres give them the right elasticity for optimal health, movement, without compromising strength or performance. Which means you can get back to focusing on improving your bike and run splits without having to worry about injuries stopping you in your tracks.
Thanks to growing research evidence and real-world stories proving their efficacy and value in ANY rehabilitation, prehabilitation or daily recovery nutrition program, U Perform's Active Collagen may be the answer to your constant injury woes and get you to your next triathlon start line in the best shape possible.
Nearly all movement of the human body, whether that is lying down, sitting, or standing up, or running, cycling, swimming, jumping (you get the picture) is as a result of the contraction of MUSCLES.
The latest innovation in collagen technology, BODYBALANCE® is a brand-new muscle specific Performance Peptide®. BODYBALANCE® has a multi-factorial effect on body composition and the maintenance and development of muscle mass.
Up to 10% of muscle is formed of collagen fibres and BODYBALANCE® collagen fibres give the muscle tissue the strength and rigidity needed to carry out its function whilst also maintaining the flexibility needed to do so without risk of injury whilst under load.
Muscles are the primary active part of the motor apparatus and alongside your ligaments, tendons and joints enable fluid and powerful movement – the types of movements you might expect when completing a triathlon of any distance.
Triathlon training stimulates the muscles and cardiovascular system to encourage them to become more efficient but, at the same time we also damage these muscles (in a good way of course) to further stimulate adaptation and to grow and strengthen the muscles themselves.
It’s why the old saying “It never gets easier…you just get faster/stronger” holds so much weight. Your body will always work to the same relative intensity that you ask of it, but through training, recovery and adaptation, your body’s ability to generate more force, power, speed and be more efficient means you are rewarded more for your efforts in turn.
That means more distance per stroke in the swimming pool, higher power numbers on the bike and faster running paces all for the same relative intensity as before!
All this muscle damage, in the form of ‘micro-tears’ is inevitable and is an essential part of the training process and how we respond to that is ultimately indicative of the progress and adaptations we will produce as a result of that bout of exercise or training.
Outside of adequate programming, rest time, quality hydration and sleep, your nutrition is crucial as it is from food and supplements that the body receives the nutrients it needs to fulfil that repair and adaptation process.
Supplementing with a high-quality recovery protein source such as U Perform’s Active Whey & Collagen post-workout, meets this need conveniently and cost-effectively. Alongside whey protein, collagen supplementation not only provides a high-quality source of Essential and Branched Chain Amino Acids, but targeted Bioactive Collagen Peptides® have been proven to improve the recovery of muscle tissue, to increase their strength and make them more resistant to injury.
Furthermore, several randomised, placebo controlled. double blinded studies have demonstrated the efficacy and potential of the daily intake of 15g of BODYBALANCE® in combination with resistance training showing increases in muscle size, strength, decrease in waist circumference and, improved muscle recovery times.
Studies have been carried out in both men and women of varying age ranges and levels of activity; with all showing statistically significant results in as little as 12 weeks (15g daily serving BODYBALANCE® in combination with physical exercise).
Active Whey & Collagen is the perfect post-training supplement and is used by professional athletes and teams worldwide to optimise their swim-bike-run performance.
Joint pain isn’t uncommon for triathletes, especially when you are regularly training and competing. Each of the three disciplines of triathlon applies different types and levels of stress on our joints and whilst this can initially help to distribute the load, poor programming, overtraining and other factors can lead to joint deterioration, joint pain and in more extreme cases: joint disorders like osteoarthritis.
Joint load for swimming is primarily experienced in the neck and shoulders and can be the cause of significant pain and disrupted training across all 3 disciplines. Whilst joint load and risk of pain when cycling is generally quite low, improper equipment and positioning on the bike can still cause pain enough to modify or stop training, particularly in areas like the neck, back, hips and knees.
Running on the other hand has a much higher risk and instance for joint discomfort, pain, and disorders. Peak joint forces of up to 10 times your normal bodyweight are experienced at the ankle, hip, and knee joints.
It becomes very clear therefore that maintaining the integrity and mobility of your joints and articular surfaces is crucial for anyone seeking to step up their triathlon performance, reduce the risk of injury and maintain better training consistency (pain free) over time.
With a unique formulation of Type II optimised Bioactive Collagen Peptides®, FORTIGEL® is an innovative ingredient clinically proven to activate the growth of new cartilage and protect the integrity of existing cartilage by stimulating specific collagen producing cells in the cartilage tissue itself, helping to ease joint discomfort, and keep joints moving smoother for longer.
The effectiveness of FORTIGEL® has been scientifically proven in numerous studies and according to published research, the ingestion of FORTIGEL® collagen peptides stimulate a significant increase of cartilage tissue metabolism, against placebo.
One study, carried out by Harvard University, investigated the long-term effect of FORTIGEL® treatment on the composition of hyaline cartilage in individuals with early knee osteoarthritis, a common condition that can affect the ability for us to stay in the game as we get older. The analysis of the final cartilage scans revealed a statistically significant increase in proteoglycan density in the medial and lateral tibial regions of the FORTIGEL® treated subjects compared to the placebo group.
Studies have been carried out in various groups and looking at different joint disorders including osteoporosis and osteoarthritis all showing statistically significant results in as little as 12 weeks (minimum 5g daily serving FORTIGEL®).
Active Sport Collagen is a cost-effective and convenient supplement to help you boost your daily collagen intake and to optimise your joint health - keeping joints moving smoother, for longer and helping you optimise your triathlon performance.
