16 March '24
Eben van Tonder

Introduction

In the fiercely competitive world of UFC and high-intensity training, athletes constantly seek strategies to enhance recovery, improve performance, and minimize injury downtime. One crucial, yet often overlooked, component of an athlete’s nutrition strategy is collagen. This article delves into the science of collagen’s role in the body, its importance for athletes, and how incorporating collagen-rich foods into a meal plan can significantly impact recovery times and performance.

The Role of Collagen in the Body

Collagen, the most abundant protein in the animal kingdom, serves as the primary structural component of connective tissues throughout the body. Its unique triple helix structure of amino acids — predominantly glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline — provides tensile strength and elasticity to skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments.

Why Athletes Need More Collagen

Athletes, particularly those in combat sports like UFC, subject their bodies to intense physical stress. This stress demands more from the connective tissues for shock absorption, joint stability, and injury prevention. Collagen aids in the repair and maintenance of these tissues, supporting faster recovery and reducing injury risk.

Want to Know More: Collagen intake is often highlighted in the context of athletic performance and recovery, primarily due to its role in maintaining the strength and integrity of connective tissues such as tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bones. The increased interest among athletes in collagen supplementation stems from several key points related to physical activity and the body’s needs for repair and recovery: 1. Tendon and Ligament Health: Stress and Recovery: Regular and intense physical activity puts significant stress on tendons and ligaments. Collagen provides the necessary amino acids (glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline) that are essential for the repair and maintenance of these connective tissues. Injury Prevention: Adequate collagen synthesis is crucial for maintaining the elasticity and strength of tendons and ligaments, potentially reducing the risk of injuries. 2. Joint Health: Cartilage Support: Collagen is a major component of cartilage, the tissue that cushions joints. High-impact and repetitive activities can wear down cartilage, leading to joint pain and conditions like osteoarthritis. Collagen supplementation may support cartilage repair and reduce joint pain, improving overall joint functionality. 3. Bone Strength: Bone Density: Collagen contributes to the structural matrix of bones. Regular exercise, particularly weight-bearing activities, increases the need for bone remodelling and repair. Collagen intake may support bone health by providing the building blocks needed for bone formation, potentially enhancing bone density and reducing the risk of bone-related injuries. 4. Muscle Repair and Growth: Protein Synthesis: While collagen is not a complete protein (it lacks tryptophan), it provides specific amino acids that can complement dietary protein intake, supporting muscle repair and growth. This is particularly relevant for athletes engaging in resistance training or activities that cause muscle microtears. 5. Skin Health: Protection and Repair: Intense physical activity can also stress the skin through increased exposure to elements and potential damage from friction and sweat. Collagen may help maintain skin elasticity and resilience.

The Power of Collagen-Rich Foods

While collagen supplements are popular, they are extremely expensive and what is available through health shops and pharmacies are often loaded with mostly fillers to bring the price down. The fact is that collagen is easily obtainable and inexpensive. Collagen is a product of the animal body. Incorporating collagen-rich parts of the animal into one’s diet offers a holistic approach to nutrition. Foods like pork skin, beef tendons, chicken skin, and other collagen-rich parts of animals are not only nutritious but can also be delicious components of meals.

A Week of Collagen-Boosting Meals

I offer 7 recipes of collagen-rich food for athletes to incorporate into their weekly meal plans.

Day 1: Beef Tendon Stew

• Recipe: Slow-cook beef tendons with vegetables like carrots, onions, and celery in a rich broth until the tendons become tender. This process can take 3-4 hours but results in a gelatinous, flavorful stew.
• Collagen Content: Approximately 30g per serving.

Day 2: Pork Skin Cracklings

• Recipe: Season pork skin with salt and bake at a low temperature until dry, then broil until crispy. Serve as a snack or with a meal.
• Collagen Content: Around 20g per 50g serving.

Day 3: Chicken Skin Tacos

• Recipe: Bake seasoned chicken skin until crispy. Use as a taco shell and fill with your choice of ingredients like grilled chicken, lettuce, and salsa.
• Collagen Content: Approximately 15g per serving.

Day 4: Braised Beef Shin

• Recipe: Braise beef shin with herbs and vegetables until the meat is tender and the collagen-rich marrow is soft.
• Collagen Content: Around 25g per serving.

Day 5: Belly Rashers and Eggs

• Recipe: Grill skin-on pork belly rashers until crispy. Serve with fried eggs for a protein-rich breakfast.
• Collagen Content: Approximately 20g per serving.

Day 6: Bone Broth

• Recipe: Simmer beef knuckles, marrow bones, and vegetables for 24 hours. Strain and season for a nutritious broth.
• Collagen Content: 10g per cup.

Day 7: Pork Trotter Soup

• Recipe: Slow-cook pork trotters with spices, vegetables, and herbs until the meat falls off the bone.
• Collagen Content: Approximately 35g per serving.

The Oake Woods Options

The company Oake, Woods & Co (Pty) Ltd, from Cape Town has spent 5 years developing a select range of high collagen-rich sausages which they are selling under the brand name Ukrainian. Incorporating these as snack food or as part of a main meal into your weekly meal strategy will yield exceptional results from a collagen-intake perspective. These products can be manufactured under license anywhere in the world. Click on the company logo to be directed to the contact details.

The Impact on Recovery

Incorporating these collagen-rich meals into a weekly meal plan can significantly enhance an athlete’s recovery process. Collagen provides the essential building blocks for repairing and strengthening connective tissues, reducing injury risk, and improving joint health. For UFC fighters and high-intensity athletes, this means potentially shorter recovery times from both injuries and rigorous training sessions, allowing for more effective training and improved performance in the ring.

Want to Know More: The digestion and assimilation of collagen, and its subsequent use in the body for repair and synthesis of new collagen or other components, involve several complex processes. When you consume collagen, whether through food or supplements, it’s broken down into its constituent amino acids and smaller peptides during digestion. This breakdown is necessary because proteins, including collagen, cannot be absorbed intact by the digestive system. The process by which collagen is digested, absorbed, and utilized for tissue repair and synthesis involves multiple steps: 1. Digestion: Collagen proteins in food are first broken down into smaller peptides and individual amino acids by digestive enzymes. This process begins in the stomach: Stomach Acid (HCl): Hydrochloric acid in the stomach denatures the collagen proteins, unfolding their triple helix structure and making them more accessible to digestive enzymes. Pepsin: This enzyme, activated in the acidic environment of the stomach, further breaks down the collagen into smaller peptides. The digestion continues in the small intestine: Pancreatic Enzymes: Enzymes from the pancreas, including trypsin and chymotrypsin, further cleave these peptides into even smaller peptides and individual amino acids. 2. Absorption: The breakdown products of collagen digestion—small peptides and amino acids—are absorbed through the small intestine’s lining: Amino Acids: Individual amino acids are absorbed by active transport, which involves specific transporters for different amino acids. Dipeptides and Tripeptides: Small peptides, including dipeptides and tripeptides, can be absorbed more efficiently than free amino acids through a process called peptide transport. These peptides are transported into the intestinal cells (enterocytes) using peptide transporters, primarily PEPT1. Once inside the enterocytes, dipeptides and tripeptides can be further broken down into individual amino acids. These amino acids, along with those absorbed directly, enter the bloodstream. 3. Distribution and Utilization: The absorbed amino acids and peptides are then distributed throughout the body via the bloodstream. Their utilization for collagen synthesis or other functions takes place in various tissues, depending on the body’s needs: Fibroblasts: In the skin, tendons, and ligaments, fibroblasts use these amino acids to synthesize new collagen. The process involves the translation of mRNA into the precursor of collagen, pro-collagen, inside the fibroblast cells. This precursor undergoes several post-translational modifications, including hydroxylation of proline and lysine residues, crucial for forming the stable triple helix structure of collagen. Chondrocytes: In cartilage, chondrocytes synthesize type II collagen, essential for cartilage structure and function. Osteoblasts: In bones, osteoblasts use these amino acids to produce type I collagen, a major component of the bone matrix. 4. Post-Translational Modifications and Secretion: The synthesis of collagen is not only about linking amino acids together but also involves critical post-translational modifications: Hydroxylation: Proline and lysine residues in the collagen chain are hydroxylated, requiring vitamin C as a cofactor. This modification is essential for the stability of the collagen triple helix. Glycosylation: Some hydroxylysine residues are glycosylated, which is important for collagen secretion and quality. Formation of the Triple Helix: Three collagen chains form a triple helix structure, known as procollagen. Secretion and Formation of Mature Collagen: Procollagen is secreted into the extracellular space, where it is cleaved by specific enzymes to form mature collagen, which then assembles into fibrils and fibres, providing structural support to tissues. This intricate process of collagen digestion, absorption, and utilization underscores the importance of various nutrients (like vitamin C for hydroxylation) and the efficiency of the body’s transport and synthetic mechanisms in maintaining and repairing tissues.

Conclusion

The strategic inclusion of collagen-rich foods in an athlete’s diet is a game-changer for recovery and performance. Beyond supplements, natural food sources offer a variety of nutrients essential for health and recovery. By embracing the power of collagen through these daily meals, fighters can ensure they’re not only hitting their nutritional marks but also paving the way for longevity in their demanding sport.

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References

• Shaw, G., et al. “Vitamin C–enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 105, no. 1, 2017, pp. 136-143.
• Clark, K.L., et al. “24-Week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity-related joint pain.” Current Medical Research and Opinion, vol. 24, no. 5, 2008, pp. 1485-1496.
• Baar, K. “Minimizing Injury and Maximizing Return to Play: Lessons from Engineered Ligaments.” Sports Medicine, vol.