Collagen Peptide Supplements Boost Tendon Adaptation During 14 Weeks of Strength Training | Research

The takeaway

Taking 5g of specific collagen peptides daily during 14 weeks of heavy resistance training significantly improved patellar tendon structural adaptations compared to training with placebo.

5g/day enhanced tendon morphology
Daily supplementation with just 5 grams of specific collagen peptides, combined with heavy resistance training over 14 weeks, produced significantly greater patellar tendon structural adaptations than the same training with placebo.

What the researchers found

In a 14-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 50 healthy men who took 5g of specific collagen peptides daily alongside resistance training showed significantly greater improvements in patellar tendon structural properties compared to placebo. The study also assessed tendon stiffness, maximal voluntary knee extension strength, and rectus femoris muscle cross-sectional area. The collagen peptide supplementation led to significantly greater patellar tendon morphological adaptations beyond what resistance training alone achieved.

Why it matters

Tendons adapt to training much more slowly than muscles, creating an imbalance that increases injury risk during strength training programs. If collagen peptides can accelerate tendon adaptation, they could help athletes and patients undergoing rehabilitation strengthen their tendons alongside their muscles — potentially reducing overuse injury risk and improving training outcomes.

How the study worked

Randomized, placebo-controlled trial registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00029244). Fifty healthy, moderately active male participants completed a 14-week resistance training program with three weekly sessions at 70-85% of 1 repetition maximum for the knee extensors. The supplementation group received 5g of specific collagen peptides daily; the control group received an identical-looking placebo. Outcome measures included patellar tendon structural properties (morphology), tendon stiffness, maximal voluntary knee extension strength, and rectus femoris cross-sectional area.

Who was studied

50 healthy, moderately active male participants undergoing 14 weeks of high-load knee extensor resistance training

What this study cannot tell us

The abstract text appears truncated, preventing full assessment of specific outcome values and statistical significance levels. The study included only healthy, moderately active males, limiting generalizability to women, older adults, and clinical populations. The 14-week duration may not capture long-term tendon remodeling. The multi-component supplement intervention (specific collagen peptides) doesn't identify which peptide fractions drive the effect.

How to read the evidence

This is a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with a registered protocol — a strong study design. The 50-participant sample is adequate for detecting tendon morphology changes. However, the study is limited to healthy young males, and the truncated abstract prevents full assessment of statistical details.

When this study was published

Published in 2023, this is a recent and well-designed trial contributing to the evidence base for collagen peptide supplementation in tendon health — an area of active research in sports science.

The bigger picture

This study adds to growing evidence that collagen peptide supplementation can enhance connective tissue adaptation to exercise. While most collagen supplement research has focused on skin or joint pain, this trial specifically targets tendon structure — a critical tissue for athletic performance and injury prevention. The finding that collagen peptides can accelerate tendon remodeling during training has significant implications for sports medicine, rehabilitation after tendon injury, and exercise programming for aging populations whose tendons adapt even more slowly.

Questions still open

Do the tendon structural improvements from collagen peptide supplementation translate into reduced tendon injury rates during high-intensity training?
Would collagen peptides also accelerate tendon healing in patients recovering from patellar tendinopathy or ACL reconstruction?
What is the optimal timing of collagen peptide ingestion relative to training sessions for maximum tendon benefit?

Common questions

How does taking collagen peptides help tendons adapt to exercise?

When you take collagen peptides orally, they're absorbed as small peptide fragments (like hydroxyproline-containing dipeptides) that accumulate in connective tissues. Research suggests these fragments stimulate tendon cells (tenocytes) to produce more collagen and other structural proteins, effectively boosting the tendon's natural repair and adaptation process during training.

Should athletes take collagen peptides to prevent tendon injuries?

This study provides evidence that collagen peptides enhance tendon structural adaptation during training, which could theoretically reduce injury risk. The protocol — 5g daily during a training program — is simple and well-tolerated. While more research is needed to directly prove injury prevention, the low risk and potential benefit make it a reasonable consideration for athletes doing high-load training.

Read the original research

Specific collagen peptides increase adaptions of patellar tendon morphology following 14-weeks of high-load resistance training: A randomized-controlled trial.

European journal of sport science, 23(12), 2329-2339

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Jerger, Simon; Centner, Christoph; Lauber, Benedikt; Seynnes, Olivier; Friedrich, Till; Lolli, David; Gollhofer, Albert; König, Daniel. (2023). Specific collagen peptides increase adaptions of patellar tendon morphology following 14-weeks of high-load resistance training: A randomized-controlled trial.. European journal of sport science, 23(12), 2329-2339. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2023.2232758