Tier 2 — strong

Prolonged Collagen Peptide Supplementation and Resistance Exercise Training Affects Body Composition in Recreationally Active Men

Marius Kirmse, Vanessa Oertzen-Hagemann, Markus de Marées, Wilhelm Bloch, Petra Platen
Nutrients 2019 11(5):1154

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 31126103
PubMed Central
PMC6566878
DOI
10.3390/nu11051154
Funding
This study was financially supported by Collagen Research Institute (CRI), Germany. Biohack Blueprint assessment: the Collagen Research Institute is a collagen-peptide-industry-affiliated research body; its director, Steffen Oesser, is a recurring co-author across much of the specific collagen peptide (GELITA-linked) evidence base cited throughout this Data Center, though he is not an author on this particular paper.
Competing interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; or in the decision to publish the results. However, funders were allowed to make suggestions in phrasing, but the final decision was made by the authors. The independence of the authors and the right to freely publish the data was contractually secured.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, conducted in two sequential recruitment phases with pooled analysis (adaptive design)
ModelRecreationally active young men, moderately trained, with no protein supplementation in the preceding 6 months
Samplen=68 recruited; n=57 completed and analysed (collagen peptide group n=29; placebo n=28)
InterventionHydrolysed collagen peptides, 15 g/day, vs placebo, combined with 12 weeks of resistance exercise training (3 sessions/week)
Duration12 weeks
EndpointsFat-free mass (FFM) and body fat mass (BFM), bioelectrical impedance analysis; One-repetition maximum (1RM) strength across four barbell exercises; Leg extension maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MViC); Muscle fibre cross-sectional area (fCSA), via muscle biopsy in a subset

What the study showed, in plain terms

This trial re-examined an earlier finding — that collagen peptides plus resistance training improve body composition — but this time in young, recreationally active men rather than older sarcopenic adults, and with muscle biopsies added to see what was actually growing.

Over 12 weeks of resistance training three times a week, the group taking 15 g/day of collagen peptides gained significantly more fat-free mass than the placebo group, while body fat mass rose in the placebo group but stayed flat in the collagen group.

Muscle fibre cross-sectional area increased similarly in both groups, so the extra fat-free mass in the collagen group was not explained by bigger muscle fibres. The authors suggest the difference may instead reflect greater adaptation of the surrounding connective tissue — a mechanistic detail worth flagging rather than proof that collagen peptides directly build muscle fibre.

Key findings

  • Fat-free mass (FFM) increased significantly more with collagen peptides than placebo (p<0.05).
  • Body fat mass (BFM) was unchanged in the collagen group, whereas it increased significantly in the placebo group.
  • Both groups showed significant increases across all strength tests, with a trend toward a slightly more pronounced effect in the collagen group, though not statistically significant.
  • Muscle fibre cross-sectional area (fCSA) of type II fibres increased significantly in both groups with no significant between-group difference — suggesting the FFM difference was not driven by greater myofibre hypertrophy.
  • The authors conclude the FFM increase may instead reflect enhanced adaptation of passive connective tissue components in the collagen group.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Funded by the Collagen Research Institute, an organisation closely tied to the collagen peptide industry, though the funder is reported to have had no role in study design, analysis or interpretation.
  • Because the observed increase in fat-free mass was not reflected in fCSA differences between groups, the underlying mechanism (connective tissue vs. other tissue compartments) remains an assumption, not a directly measured finding.
  • Study population was healthy, recreationally active young men only; findings should not be assumed to generalise to women, older adults, or clinical populations without separate confirmatory trials.
  • As the authors note, further studies incorporating direct quantification of connective tissue changes and varied training protocols are needed.

Related papers in the corpus

Tier 2
Effects of 12 Weeks of Hypertrophy Resistance Exercise Training Combined with Collagen Peptide Supplementation on the Skeletal Muscle Proteome in Recreationally Active Men
Vanessa Oertzen-Hagemann et al. · Nutrients · 2019
Tier 2
Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial
Denise Zdzieblik et al. · British Journal of Nutrition · 2015

Editorial review

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology