Collagen for Tendon Repair: Can Supplements Support Recovery?

Tendons connect muscles to bones and are mainly composed of collagen, the protein that gives them their strength and flexibility. When tendon injuries occur, collagen fibres break down, leading to pain, reduced mobility, and slow recovery due to the tendon’s limited blood supply. Collagen production also declines naturally with age, stress, and poor nutrition, which makes healing even harder.

Collagen for tendon repair, particularly hydrolysed collagen peptides, provides essential amino acids (such as glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline) that stimulate new collagen production in tendons. Clinical studies have shown that when taken in conjunction with vitamin C and exercise, collagen can reduce pain, improve tendon thickness and function, and support faster recovery compared to exercise alone. The best results are achieved by taking 10-15 g of collagen with vitamin C approximately 30-60 minutes before exercise, allowing collagen levels to peak when tendon cells are most active.

Although the evidence is promising, research is still in its early stages of development. Results vary between tendon types, and most studies are of short-term duration. Collagen should be used as a supportive strategy, alongside physiotherapy, nutrition, lifestyle changes, and progressive loading exercises, rather than as a stand-alone cure.

How to speed up tendon healing? Select a high-quality, third-party tested collagen supplement, such as VPA Collagen Pro, and pair it with vitamin C. Maintain consistency for 3-6 months to build stronger, more resilient tendons.

Estimated reading time: 7-8 minutes

Tendons are strong, fibrous tissues that connect muscles to bones, acting as the bridging force that allows us to move.

While tendons are tough, they are still prone to injuries, particularly in athletes, manual workers, older adults, and those engaged in intense physical activity. These injuries often take a long time to heal due to the limited blood supply and the complex structure of tendon tissue. With age, this issue becomes even more troublesome.

Collagen, the body’s most abundant protein 1, makes up around 70-80% 2 of a tendon’s dry weight, with type I collagen being the dominant form.

This protein provides the tensile strength needed for tendons to endure high levels of stress during movement and exercise. When tendon injuries occur, collagen fibres break down, leading to pain, inflammation, reduced mobility, and hence a hindrance to your everyday active lifestyle.

If you are searching for answers to how to speed up tendon healing, here’s what you need to know. Restoring collagen through supplements is therefore critical to tendon repair. While the body naturally produces collagen, its synthesis slows down with age, stress, poor lifestyle choices, and inadequate nutrition. That’s where collagen supplementation may provide support, giving the body the building blocks it needs to speed up tendon healing and recovery.

If you thought collagen supplementation was enough to heal those aching joints and tendons, think again. Healing tendons requires more than just collagen. Three key factors work in synergy:

1. A tendon’s strength is directly related to how much collagen it contains. Collagen peptides provide the raw materials (amino acids such as glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline) that are needed to rebuild tendon fibres.

2. Vitamin C is an essential cofactor for collagen synthesis. Without adequate Vitamin C, the body cannot stabilise or mature new collagen fibres. Even a mild deficiency impairs tendon repair.
   Even studies prove that Vitamin C supplementation, alone or in combination with other products, increases collagen synthesis with a consequent improvement 6 in the patient’s condition.

3. Exercise, particularly tendon-loading exercises like strengthening, stimulates the turnover of collagen and positively affects tenocytes (which help with repairing and fixing the tendons).

When combined, collagen for tendons, vitamin C, and exercise create a conducive environment for repair and recovery. Taking collagen with vitamin C approximately one hour before exercise significantly enhances collagen production markers in the body.

The logic is simple: this timing allows amino acids and vitamin C to peak in the bloodstream at the exact moment when exercise stimulates tendon cells to start rebuilding and repairing.

In practice, this means that the best approach for tendon health is not relying solely on collagen, but rather a combined strategy of supplementation, good nutrition, targeted exercise, and a healthy lifestyle.

If you’re considering collagen for tendon repair, here’s how to do it effectively:

• Form: Choose hydrolysed collagen peptides, as these are broken down into smaller molecules for better absorption.

• Dosage: Clinical studies commonly use 10-15 g of collagen per day, combined with 75-90g of Vitamin C. A typical serving is one scoop of collagen powder mixed with water, coffee, or smoothies.

• Timing: For tendon repair, take collagen with vitamin C about 30-60 minutes before exercise. This maximises uptake and ensures collagen is at its peak in the bloodstream when the tendon is stimulated.

• Exercise: Pair collagen intake with structured tendon-loading exercises such as eccentric strengthening.

• Vitamin C support: Either pair your collagen with a Vitamin C supplement or consume vitamin C-rich foods like oranges, kiwi, or peppers alongside your collagen shake.

This routine can help you not only repair injured tendons but also build resilience and agility as you age, and reduce the risk of future tendon problems.

Although research into collagen for tendon repair is exciting, it has limitations:

• Small sample sizes: Many trials are preliminary pilot studies with fewer than 50 participants.

• Short duration: Most studies track outcomes for 12-24 weeks; long-term effects remain unknown.

• Mixed results: While pain and function improve consistently, structural changes like tendon stiffness and thickness vary between studies.

• Not all tendon injuries are the same: Results for Achilles tendinopathy may not translate to shoulder tears or other issues.

• At times, collagen supplements don’t require double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trials, unlike medications. Hence, lab or test results may not be as trustworthy.

• Pending results: Larger, more rigorous trials are still underway, so clinical guidelines have not yet fully endorsed collagen supplementation for tendon repair.

• The supplement industry sponsors many studies, or study authors have financial links with the industry. Hence, results may be questionable.

In short, while collagen supplementation shows promise, it should be viewed as a supportive strategy for tendon care rather than a guaranteed cure. Exercise, physiotherapy, nutrition, and medical treatment remain paramount to tendon rehabilitation.