You feel your muscles work when you squat, run or jump. Your tendons are working too. They pass the pull from your muscles to your bones so you can move.
That is one reason we use collagen in our Dairy Free Protein. Here is what it does in your body, what researchers have found, and how it fits into your training routine.
The strong fibres behind each rep
A tendon is a tough band of tissue. Think of it as a strong cord between a muscle and a bone. Your Achilles tendon, for example, links your calf muscles to your heel.
Collagen is a protein that forms much of that cord. Its fibres sit in bundles that help the tendon handle a pull. Collagen also helps give your skin, bones and ligaments their structure. Ligaments join one bone to another.
Like muscles, tendons respond to the work you give them. Regular strength training gives them a reason to adapt. Food provides the raw materials your body uses to build and repair tissue.
What happens when you drink collagen?
Protein is made from small parts called amino acids. Digestion breaks protein into smaller pieces. Your body then uses amino acids to make the proteins it needs.
You will see the words hydrolysed collagen peptides on our product page. This means the collagen has already been broken into smaller chains. A peptide is a short chain of amino acids.
Collagen contains plenty of glycine and proline, two amino acids found in your body's collagen. The Australian Institute of Sport's collagen guide explains these building blocks in more detail.
Why we include TENDOFORTE
Our Dairy Free Protein gives you 25g of protein per serve. The mix includes 5g of TENDOFORTE, a specific blend of collagen peptides studied alongside exercise.
In a 14-week strength training study, men took 5g of these peptides each day. They had more growth in parts of the tendon below the kneecap than men who did the same training and took a placebo.
Both groups gained strength. The extra finding was about tendon size. The study paired daily use with regular training, which is why we think about collagen as part of a routine that builds over time.
Why we add tryptophan too
Your body needs nine essential amino acids from food. They are called essential because your body cannot make them. Tryptophan is one of the nine.
Collagen itself is missing tryptophan. We add it to our Dairy Free Protein so the mix contains all nine essential amino acids. That is what makes our formula a complete collagen protein.
Those amino acids support the everyday work of making and repairing body proteins. For a closer look at the nine, read our guide to BCAAs and essential amino acids.
Make it easy to keep up
Start with regular meals, enough protein and a training plan you can build on. Eggs, fish, meat, tofu and beans all help you get protein through the day. Fruit and veg provide vitamin C, which your body also needs to make collagen.
We make our Dairy Free Protein in Brisbane. Shake a serve with your usual drink or blend it into a smoothie. Have it after training or at another time that helps you meet your daily protein needs.
If a tendon keeps hurting, get a physio to help you plan your training. The right exercises and a gradual build in load deserve as much thought as what goes in your shaker.
