Collagen + Vitamin C for Muscle Health

Overseen By Paul L Babits, BKin

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Toronto

Must not be taking: Anti-inflammatories

Disqualifiers: Tobacco use, Illicit drugs, Sleep, others

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

Duration: 1 day

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how a supplement combining collagen and vitamin C might benefit muscle health, particularly when taken before sleep. The researchers aim to assess the effects of this presleep nutrition supplement on muscle tissue, both at rest and after exercise, compared to a carbohydrate placebo. It is ideal for healthy, active men and women willing to pause their usual workouts and adhere to study guidelines. Participants should not smoke or use drugs and should maintain a consistent sleep pattern. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative research on muscle health.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications, but you cannot participate if you regularly use anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research shows that collagen and vitamin C supplements are generally safe. Studies have found that taking 15 grams of collagen daily can improve body composition and increase collagen levels, indicating good tolerance. Another study found that combining exercise with collagen and vitamin C can enhance muscle health. This combination may also aid bone and joint issues, suggesting safety. However, research on vitamin C alone has mixed results, though it is usually safe in reasonable amounts as a natural vitamin. Overall, no strong evidence indicates serious safety concerns with these supplements. They are often used to support muscle and joint health and are generally well-tolerated. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about using collagen and vitamin C for muscle health because these ingredients offer a natural approach to enhancing muscle function. Unlike traditional treatments that often focus on drugs or supplements, collagen provides essential amino acids that support muscle repair and growth, while vitamin C plays a crucial role in collagen synthesis and antioxidant protection. This combination is unique because it not only aids in muscle recovery but also potentially improves muscle health through nutritional support, making it a promising alternative to more conventional options. Additionally, this approach emphasizes presleep nutrition, which is a novel strategy to maximize the body's natural repair processes during rest.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for muscle health?

This trial will compare the effects of a Collagen and Vitamin C supplement with a Carbohydrate Placebo. Research suggests that taking collagen and vitamin C before bed might boost the body's collagen production, which is vital for muscles. One study found that combining exercise with protein intake, such as collagen, before sleep increased muscle protein synthesis overnight in older men. These supplements might help the body rebuild and strengthen muscles. However, limited research exists on how well collagen and vitamin C directly improve mature muscle tissue. Some studies show benefits, while others do not indicate an increase in muscle building with these supplements. Therefore, more research is needed to confirm their effectiveness. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for healthy, active men and women aged 18-35 with a BMI of 18.5-30. Women must have regular menstrual cycles and not be on birth control recently. Participants should avoid resistance exercise and alcohol before the study, get at least 7 hours of sleep nightly, and not use tobacco or illicit drugs.

Inclusion Criteria

Healthy will be defined as someone who does not have a health condition that would compromise their ability to safely participate in the strenuous physical activity involved in our study as screened for by the Get Active Questionnaire

My BMI is between 18.5 and 30.

Participants are willing to abide by the compliance rules of this study (e.g., abstain from physical activity and alcohol 48h prior to each trial)

Exclusion Criteria

You smoke tobacco regularly and have told us about it.

You have used illegal drugs or substances like growth hormone or testosterone.

I regularly take anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive a presleep vitamin C-enriched, collagen-modelled supplement (CVC) or a carbohydrate placebo, followed by resistance exercise and rest

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for muscle collagen enrichment and other outcomes after treatment

24 hours

Multiple assessments (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Exercise
• Muscle Connective Tissue Remodelling
• Presleep Nutrition

Trial Overview

The study tests how a collagen-based supplement with vitamin C taken before sleep affects muscle connective tissue after resistance exercise compared to a carbohydrate placebo. It uses a special tracer to track changes in the muscle.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Collagen and Vitamin C Active Control 1 Intervention

Group II: Carbohydrate Placebo Placebo Group 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Toronto

Lead Sponsor

Trials

739

Recruited

1,125,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A review of 14 randomized control trials over the past 10 years found that high-dose vitamin C supplementation has mixed effects on athletic performance, with only 3 studies showing benefits in reducing muscle damage after intense exercise.

The majority of studies (11 out of 14) indicated that high-dose vitamin C may not improve muscle damage, physical performance, or training adaptations, leading to the recommendation that athletes should focus on obtaining antioxidants from a balanced diet rather than supplements.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Vitamin C Supplementation and Athletic Performance: A Review. Rogers, DR., Lawlor, DJ., Moeller, JL.[2023]

In a study involving 39 young healthy males over 15 weeks of resistance training, collagen peptide (CP) supplementation led to significantly greater increases in muscle volume compared to a placebo, particularly in the quadriceps and total muscle volume.

CP supplementation also resulted in enhanced muscle contractile properties, as evidenced by a greater increase in twitch peak torque and changes in muscle architecture, indicating that CP may improve skeletal muscle remodeling during resistance training.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of specific bioactive collagen peptides on function and muscle remodeling during human resistance training. Balshaw, TG., Funnell, MP., McDermott, E., et al.[2023]

In a study of 25 young men, collagen peptide supplementation combined with resistance exercise training (RET) led to greater increases in body mass and fat-free mass compared to a placebo, highlighting its efficacy in enhancing muscle growth.

The collagen peptide group showed a significant upregulation of proteins related to muscle metabolism, particularly in contractile fibers, suggesting a mechanism by which collagen supplementation may improve muscle strength and composition.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of 12 Weeks of Hypertrophy Resistance Exercise Training Combined with Collagen Peptide Supplementation on the Skeletal Muscle Proteome in Recreationally Active Men. Oertzen-Hagemann, V., Kirmse, M., Eggers, B., et al.[2023]

In a 12-week study involving 59 recreationally active women, those who consumed specific collagen peptides (SCP) alongside concurrent training (CT) showed a greater improvement in running distance compared to the placebo group, indicating enhanced endurance performance.

The SCP group also experienced a significant increase in fat-free mass and a greater reduction in heart rate at the anaerobic threshold, suggesting beneficial structural and cardiometabolic adaptations from the combination of SCP intake and CT.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Influence of Specific Collagen Peptides and Concurrent Training on Cardiometabolic Parameters and Performance Indices in Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Jendricke, P., Kohl, J., Centner, C., et al.[2020]

In a study involving 15 resistance-trained males, consuming 15 g/day of collagen peptides (CP) helped maintain countermovement jump height 24 hours after intense exercise, suggesting a potential benefit for recovery.

While muscle soreness increased in both the CP and placebo groups after exercise, the CP group showed less decline in performance compared to the placebo group, indicating that collagen peptides may aid in musculoskeletal recovery following damaging workouts.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of Collagen Peptides on Recovery Following Eccentric Exercise in Resistance-Trained Males-A Pilot Study. Prowting, JL., Bemben, D., Black, CD., et al.[2022]

Supplementation with vitamins C and E during a 10-week resistance training program appeared to reduce upper body strength and hypertrophy gains in trained men, as indicated by lower increases in one-repetition maximum (1-RM) and fat-free mass compared to the placebo group.

Despite the blunted strength and hypertrophy adaptations, vitamin supplementation may help prevent increases in visceral adipose tissue associated with an energy surplus, suggesting a potential protective effect against fat gain.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Antioxidant vitamin supplementation on muscle adaptations to resistance training: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Martínez-Ferrán, M., Berlanga, LA., Barcelo-Guido, O., et al.[2023]

A systematic review of 18 trials involving adult humans found that vitamin C and/or E supplementation does not negatively affect improvements in aerobic capacity or endurance performance during exercise training.

The study also showed that these vitamins do not influence gains in lean mass or muscle strength from resistance training, indicating they do not inhibit exercise-induced physiological adaptations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of vitamin C and E on exercise-induced physiological adaptations: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clifford, T., Jeffries, O., Stevenson, EJ., et al.[2020]

High-dose supplementation of vitamins C and E may reduce oxidative stress and muscle damage, but there is insufficient evidence to support their effectiveness in enhancing muscle recovery after exercise.

Long-term use of these vitamins could negatively impact important training adaptations like strength, muscle growth, and endurance, suggesting that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is a better source of antioxidants than supplements.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of high-dose vitamin C and E supplementation on muscle recovery and training adaptation: a mini review. Kim, J.[2023]

In a study involving nine active males, taking 1 g of vitamin C before a 90-minute shuttle-running test increased plasma vitamin C levels but did not reduce muscle soreness or markers of muscle damage after exercise.

Despite the increase in vitamin C levels, both muscle soreness and damage indicators were similar in those who took vitamin C and those who took a placebo, suggesting that short-term vitamin C supplementation may not be effective for preventing exercise-induced muscle damage.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Muscle soreness and damage parameters after prolonged intermittent shuttle-running following acute vitamin C supplementation. Thompson, D., Williams, C., Kingsley, M., et al.[2013]

In a study of 20 healthy obese adults over 4 weeks, those who received 500 mg of vitamin C daily reported significantly lower feelings of fatigue and perceived exertion during exercise compared to those on a placebo.

Both groups lost a similar amount of weight (about 4 kg), but the vitamin C group experienced a greater reduction in heart rate and perceived exertion during moderate exercise, suggesting that vitamin C may help improve exercise tolerance in obese individuals.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Vitamin C status and perception of effort during exercise in obese adults adhering to a calorie-reduced diet. Huck, CJ., Johnston, CS., Beezhold, BL., et al.[2013]

A 7-day supplementation of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), zinc, and vitamin C in 18 male volleyball trainees significantly improved their time-to-exhaustion (TTE) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) index, indicating enhanced physical performance.

The supplementation also led to reductions in several metabolic indicators, including cytochrome c, C-reactive protein, and insulin levels, suggesting potential benefits for metabolic health and cellular function.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cardiorespiratory and metabolic fitness indicators in novice volleyball trainees: effect of 1-week antioxidant supplementation with N-acetyl-cysteine/zinc/vitamin C. Alduraywish, AA.[2023]

In a study involving 10 recreationally active males, both vitamin C-enriched gelatin and hydrolyzed collagen supplementation led to a 20% increase in N-terminal peptide of procollagen levels after exercise, suggesting potential benefits for collagen synthesis.

All collagen supplements similarly increased circulating amino acids, but the variability in results means that further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of these nutritional strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of Different Vitamin C-Enriched Collagen Derivatives on Collagen Synthesis. Lis, DM., Baar, K.[2019]

Vitamin E supplementation (400 IU/day) significantly reduced markers of oxidative stress (malonaldehyde levels) in trained male cyclists, indicating it is more effective than vitamin C in preventing membrane damage during exercise.

Neither vitamin E nor vitamin C supplementation improved exercise performance, suggesting that while antioxidants can help reduce cellular damage, they do not enhance athletic performance.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of vitamin E and C supplementation either alone or in combination on exercise-induced lipid peroxidation in trained cyclists. Bryant, RJ., Ryder, J., Martino, P., et al.[2019]

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