Can BioCell Collagen Enhance Exercise Recovery, Protect Muscle Tissue?

Though renowned for its cosmetic and joint health applications, collagen may also have potential in the field of sports nutrition. A new study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests BioCell Collagen, an ingredient of BioCell Technology (Newport Beach, CA), is effective at protecting connective muscle tissue from damage and improving recovery times after intense work-outs.

Researchers from the Center for Applied Health Sciences (Stow, Ohio) studied eight “healthy, recreationally active subjects” aged 20-39 in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Each subject was given either 3g of BioCell Collagen or a placebo to ingest daily for six weeks.

At the end of the administration period, all participants completed an upper body, muscle-damaging, resistance exercise challenge (UBC), followed by a re-challenge 72 hours later. The UBC consisted of eight sets of barbell bench press with a load of 75% of body weight. Participants exercised to exhaustion with a repetition tempo of 4/0/X, and rested for 90 seconds between sets.

Serum markers for muscle tissue damage in response to the bench press exercise, such as creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and C-reactive protein, were all found to be significantly reduced in the BioCell Collagen group compared to the placebo group. In addition, participants taking BioCell Collagen were able to do more repetitions in the re-challenge before becoming exhausted.

While the placebo group showed a decline in bench repetitions to exhaustion of 60% in the first challenge to 55% in the re-challenge, the BioCell Collagen group only declined from 49% in the first challenge to 43% in the re-challenge.

BioCell Technology sees these clinical results as a “proof-of-concept study” that could take BioCell Collagen beyond its current applications for joint and skin health.

“This opens up a new category in sports nutrition regarding connective tissue protection and recovery from post-workout soreness and limiting repetitive, overuse-related injuries,” says Suhail Ishaq, president, BioCell Technology.

Lopez HL et al. “Effects of BioCell Collagen on connective tissue protection and functional recovery from exercise in healthy adults: a pilot study.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 11, suppl. 1 (December, 2014): 48.

Michael Crane
Associate Editor
Nutritional Outlook magazine
michael.crane@ubm.com

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