A team of researchers at Keith Baar’s Functional Molecular Biology Laboratory at the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences paired up with scientists from the Australian Institute of Sport to research the effects of gelatin on the human body. They found eight healthy young men to participate in a study that examined what happened when they took a vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplement before performing high-impact exercise.

After the exercise, the participants were tested for certain amino acids that indicate the body is using the collagen in gelatin to build tendons, bones, ligaments, and other connective tissues. The researchers discovered that the gelatin supplement increased these amino acids and other markers, indicating that the body was indeed using the gelatin to produce the collagen needed to strengthen connective tissue.

To see the gelatin supplements in action, the researchers tested it on lab-grown ligaments. The bioengineered connective tissue also benefited from higher collagen production, thanks to the gelatin supplement.

Gelatin contains the nutrients your body needs to synthesize collagen, the protein that keeps your skin, bones, and connective tissue elastic. The natural production of collagen tends to decrease as we age, so finding ways to increase collagen production (such as via gelatin supplements) is a vital step toward reducing the musculoskeletal effects of aging.

But the addition of vitamin C makes the gelatin even more effective. In addition to amino acids, the body needs vitamin C in order to produce collagen. By adding vitamin C into the gelatin, the researchers increased the effectiveness of the supplement—increasing the amount of collagen produced as a result of the supplementation.

If you’re looking for a new way to improve your joint health, try a vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplement. You can make your own gelatin-based products at home, using flavorless gelatin and adding vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits or tomatoes into the recipes. Make bone broth and other bone-based dishes, which increase the natural production of gelatin from the bone marrow. A bit more gelatin in your life may be the secret to healthier joints and connective tissue.

Reference:

1. “Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesi“, Gregory Shaw, Ann Lee-Barthel, Megan LR Ross, Bing Wang, and Keith Baar, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, doi: 10.3945/?ajcn.116.138594, published online 16 November 2016.

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Scientists at Queen Mary are collaborating with colleagues from the University of Liverpool and University College London on a project that requires dissecting horse tendons to better understand the role of the IFM. This research is being funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board. Tendon injuries are very common in horses, just as they are in humans, and cost roughly the U.S.-equivalent of four and a half billion dollars per year in horse racing in the U.K. Among the 16,000 horses that train per year, the tendon injury rate is as high as 43%. Unfortunately, horses that suffer these injuries rarely return to racing.²

“Tendon disorders are highly debilitating and painful, and may herald the end of an Olympic athlete’s career,” said study co-author Dr. Hazel Screen, a senior lecturer in medical engineering at Queen Mary, University of London. She continued:

Even today, with advancements in sports science, little is known about tendon health management, and we still do not understand why some people are more prone to tendon injury than others. However, we have now found that the matrix which binds the fascicles together in the tendon, the IFM, is essential for tendon function and that changes to this structure may be responsible for tendon injury.³

Lead author Dr. Chavaunne Thorpe, from the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary, University of London explained:

A specific tendon in horses known as the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) stretches and recoils in the same way as the Achilles tendon and is injured in the same way. We tested how the components within the SDFT worked to enable the tendon to stretch and function effectively.

When we looked at its capacity to stretch, we found that the IFM, previously thought to be unimportant in tendon function, was essential to SDFT extension in horses. We found that tendons with a stiffer IFM were not able to stretch as far before they failed.

It is possible with the findings from this research that many common tendon injuries in athletes, as well as horses, can be prevented. Dr. Screen noted: “If we are able to manipulate the IFM, we could potentially design a diagnostic test to see whether someone is more susceptible to tendon injury than others, and also pave the way for prospective treatments.”⁴

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