The Effect of Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides on Tendon Remodeling during 15 wk of Lower Body Resistance Training

Purpose: Collagen peptide supplementation has been reported to enhance synthesis rates or growth in a range of musculoskeletal tissues and could enhance tendinous tissue adaptations to resistance training (RT). This double-blind placebo-controlled study aimed to determine if tendinous tissue adaptations, size (patellar tendon cross-sectional area (CSA) and vastus lateralis (VL) aponeurosis area), and mechanical properties (patellar tendon), after 15 wk of RT, could be augmented with collagen peptide (CP) versus placebo (PLA) supplementation.Methods: Young healthy recreationally active men were randomized to consume either 15 g of CP (n = 19) or PLA (n = 20) once every day during a standardized program of lower-body RT (3 times a week). Measurements pre- and post-RT included patellar tendon CSA and VL aponeurosis area (via magnetic resonance imaging), and patellar tendon mechanical properties during isometric knee extension ramp contractions.Results: No between-group differences were detected for any of the tendinous tissue adaptations to RT (ANOVA group-time, 0.365 <= P <= 0.877). There were within-group increases in VL aponeurosis area (CP, +10.0%; PLA, +9.4%), patellar tendon stiffness (CP, +17.3%; PLA, +20.9%) and Young's modulus (CP, +17.8%; PLA, +20.6%) in both groups (paired t-tests (all), P <= 0.007). There were also within-group decreases in patellar tendon elongation (CP, -10.8%; PLA, -9.6%) and strain (CP, -10.6%; PLA, -8.9%) in both groups (paired t-tests (all), P <= 0.006). Although no within-group changes in patellar tendon CSA (mean or regional) occurred for CP or PLA, a modest overall time effect (n = 39) was observed for mean (+1.4%) and proximal region (+2.4%) patellar tendon CSA (ANOVA, 0.017 <= P <= 0.048).Conclusions: In conclusion, CP supplementation did not enhance RT-induced tendinous tissue remodeling (either size or mechanical properties) compared with PLA within a population of healthy young men.