Gelatin before exercise and collagen synthesis in men
What it found
In eight healthy men, taking 15 g of vitamin C-enriched gelatin an hour before skipping increased a blood marker of collagen synthesis.
The authors say this could help prevent injury and repair tissue.
What they found
Studies in people
Amino acids in blood
Taking more gelatin raised blood levels of glycine, proline, hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine, peaking 1 hour after the supplement.
Collagen synthesis marker
Men who took 15 g gelatin 1 hour before exercise had double the amino-terminal propeptide of collagen I in their blood, indicating increased collagen synthesis.
Animal and lab studies
Engineered ligaments
Engineered ligaments treated for 6 days with serum taken before or 1 hour after men consumed placebo or 5 g or 15 g gelatin showed increased collagen content and improved mechanics.
What the authors conclude
“These data suggest that adding gelatin to an intermittent exercise program improves collagen synthesis and could play a beneficial role in injury prevention and tissue repair.”
Also in their conclusions
- They suggest that adding gelatin to an intermittent exercise program improves collagen synthesis and could play a beneficial role in injury prevention and tissue repair.
How it was done
Musculoskeletal injuries are the most common complaint in active people, and more than 50% of sports injuries are sprains, strains, ruptures or breaks of these tissues. The authors wanted to see if gelatin supplementation could increase collagen synthesis and strengthen these tissues.
Eight healthy male subjects took part in a randomized, double-blinded, crossover study. They consumed 5 g or 15 g of vitamin C-enriched gelatin or a placebo, then did 6 minutes of rope-skipping one hour later. This was repeated 3 times a day with at least 6 hours between exercise bouts, for 3 days. Blood was taken at set times to measure amino acids and a marker of collagen synthesis.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a small study in eight healthy men, so the results may not apply to other people.
- It measured a blood marker of collagen synthesis, not actual injury rates.
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
- Abstract only
- 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 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error