Gelatin and vitamin C before exercise increased collagen synthesis in men
What it found
Taking 15 g of gelatin with vitamin C one hour before short bouts of rope-skipping doubled a blood marker of collagen production in eight healthy men.
Lab-grown ligaments treated with blood from those men also contained more collagen and were stronger.
What they found
Studies in people
Amino acids in blood
After taking gelatin, levels of glycine, proline, hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine rose in the blood. These building blocks of collagen peaked 1 h after the drink, with the largest rises seen after 15 g of gelatin.
Collagen marker in blood
Men who took 15 g of gelatin one hour before skipping rope had double the amount of a blood marker called PINP compared with the placebo group. This higher level lasted throughout the 72 h of testing and indicates more collagen was being made.
Studies in people and animals
Lab ligament collagen content
Lab-grown ligaments fed with blood taken from men one hour after drinking gelatin contained more collagen after 6 d. More collagen built up when the blood came from men who drank 15 g rather than 5 g of gelatin.
Lab ligament strength
The lab-grown ligaments were stronger and stiffer when treated with blood taken after any of the drinks, including the placebo. Because only the gelatin groups showed extra collagen, the authors suggest the 48 mg of vitamin C in every drink may have improved how the collagen linked together.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that taking gelatin with vitamin C before short bursts of exercise increases collagen production in the body.
- They suggest this combination could help prevent injuries and support tissue repair when added to an exercise routine.
How it was done
More than half of all sports injuries involve sprains, strains or breaks in muscles, tendons and bones. The authors wanted to see if eating gelatin could boost the body's ability to build collagen and strengthen these tissues.
Eight healthy young men took part in a crossover trial where each tried three drinks: a placebo, 5 g of gelatin, or 15 g of gelatin, all mixed with 48 mg of vitamin C. One hour after drinking, they skipped rope for 6 min, repeating this three times a day for 3 d. Blood was taken regularly to measure amino acids and a marker of new collagen, and some blood was used to feed lab-grown ligaments for 6 d.
What it can’t tell you
- Only eight men took part, so it is not clear if women, older adults or injured people would see the same results.
- The study measured a blood marker of collagen and tested lab-grown ligaments, so it cannot show whether real tendons or bones actually became stronger or less likely to tear.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NIA NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- Australian Institute of Sport, Australia; Australian Catholic University, Australia; Monash University, Australia
The paper
- Title
- Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Shaw G, Lee-Barthel A, Ross ML, Wang B, Baar K (2017). Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis. The American journal of clinical nutrition. doi:10.3945/ajcn.116.138594Free full textPubMed 27852613DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error