Tier 2 — strong

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, Steffen Oesser, Manfred W. Baumstark, Albert Gollhofer, Daniel König
British Journal of Nutrition 2015 114(8):1237–1245

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 26353786
PubMed Central
PMC4594048
DOI
10.1017/S0007114515002810
Funding
The 2025 corrigendum states that the research received no specific grant from public, commercial, or non-profit funding agencies. Gelita AG provided the study samples and paid an amount covering participant compensation and sample analysis. The authors stated that planning, organization, monitoring and analysis were performed independently by the investigators.
Competing interests
A 2025 corrigendum added a previously omitted conflict: co-author Steffen Oesser is named as a co-inventor on a patent application filed May 13, 2013 relating to the active substance studied. The corrigendum states that he receives no royalty payments or other remuneration from exploitation of the patent application. PMID 40859798; DOI 10.1017/S000711452510425X.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group trial
ModelElderly male subjects (72.2 ± 4.68 years) with class I or II sarcopenia (EWGSOP criteria)
Sample60 men with sarcopenia were randomized (30 collagen, 30 placebo); 53 completed and were analyzed as completers (26 collagen, 27 placebo).
Intervention15 g/day BODYBALANCE™ collagen peptides supplied by GELITA AG, dissolved in 250 mL water and consumed after exercise on training days, versus 15 g/day silicon dioxide placebo; both groups completed 12 weeks of supervised resistance training three times weekly.
Duration12 weeks
EndpointsFat-free mass by DXA; Fat mass by DXA; Bone mass by DXA; Isokinetic quadriceps strength of right leg; Sensory motor control by standardised one-leg stabilisation test

What the study showed, in plain terms

Fifty-three older men with sarcopenia completed 12 weeks of supervised resistance training while taking either 15 g/day of BODYBALANCE collagen peptides or a non-protein silica placebo. The collagen group showed larger changes in fat-free mass, fat mass and quadriceps strength than placebo.

The study does not establish that collagen is superior to whey or another adequately dosed complete protein because the comparator supplied no amino acids. A 2025 corrigendum added previously omitted commercial disclosures: GELITA AG supplied the product and paid part of the study costs, and co-author Steffen Oesser was named on a patent application related to the active substance.

Key findings

The collagen-plus-training group reported larger gains in fat-free mass and quadriceps strength and a larger reduction in fat mass than the silica-placebo-plus-training group over 12 weeks. These outcomes support a formulation-specific effect versus an inert comparator, not superiority to a complete protein.

The intervention used 15 g/day BODYBALANCE collagen peptides. The study does not establish a universal 15 g effective dose for muscle growth, and it does not resolve whether the extra fat-free mass represented contractile muscle, connective tissue, water or a mixture of compartments.

PubMed now links the original article to a 2025 corrigendum that added GELITA funding/product-supply information and a patent-related conflict for Steffen Oesser.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Small male-only sarcopenic sample and 12-week duration limit generalizability.

The control was non-protein silicon dioxide, so the design cannot determine whether collagen has a specific advantage over an adequately dosed whey, casein, soy or other complete protein.

BODYBALANCE was the tested ingredient; results should not be transferred automatically to generic collagen powders or to DoNotAge's finished product.

The original 2015 publication omitted commercial disclosures. A formal 2025 corrigendum reported that GELITA AG supplied study samples and paid part of the study costs and that co-author Steffen Oesser was named on a patent application related to the active substance.

DXA fat-free mass is not a direct measure of contractile muscle protein, and direct tracer studies published later show weaker myofibrillar protein-synthesis responses to collagen than to complete proteins.

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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