Rousselot targets sports nutrition segment with collagen peptides ingredient

13 Dec 2018 --- Supplementation with the collagen peptide Peptan before and after intense exercise can reduce muscle damage, research led by Rousselot has found. Conducted with Newcastle University researchers in the UK, the study shows how the collagen ingredient can help repair connective tissues after physical activity, thereby preventing the risk of injury when used as a food supplement in sports nutrition. As the first clinical study showing the beneficial effects of collagen peptides for exercise recovery, the findings support the ingredient’s positioning as suitable for sports nutrition.

“Muscle soreness and joint inflammation after exercise are the most commonly reported problems across the growing base of active consumers of all age groups today. They are now looking towards active ingredient solutions with proven efficacy, which are safe, natural and not only alleviate symptoms but also reduce the risk of injury and accelerate the recovery process. This new study opens new doors to the potential benefits Peptan can bring to sports nutrition,” says Dr. Tom Clifford, Research in Sports and Exercise Nutrition at Newcastle University.

With a varied amino acid profile, collagen peptides such as Peptan contain high levels of the amino acids glycine, hydroxyproline, proline, alanine and arginine – providing specific nutritional benefits not found in other protein sources, the company notes.

In the study, 24 active young men consumed a daily dose of either 20g of Peptan, or a placebo, for nine days. The subjects then performed a series of muscle-damaging physical exercises to measure the effects of Peptan on connective tissue recovery.

The assessment of muscle soreness indicated that the subjects who consumed Peptan experienced 20 percent less muscle soreness at all time points after intense exercise, compared with those who received a placebo dose. 

Furthermore, the data showed that Peptan increased sports performance as those who received a dose of Peptan demonstrated maintained performance at 24h post exercise, which increased at 48h post exercise. Meanwhile, the performance of the placebo group progressively declined.

At HiE, held last month in Frankfurt, Germany, Rousselot showcased its Peptan ingredient.

Speaking to NutritionInsight, Sara De Pelsmaeker, Product & Business Development Manager at Rousselot, highlighted that the ingredient is ideal for athletes who experience joint pain. However, it is also suitable for the so-called “weekend warriors,” who may participate in heavy sport only at the weekends. These consumers may not be as equipped nutritionally as professional athletes to deal with the effects on the body and supplementation with Peptan can help them to prevent immediate or future joint pain.

Beyond sports nutrition, “the specificity of the product due to its matrix effect means it can also help the aging population to optimize joint health,” de Pelsmaeker notes.

She adds that some products containing the ingredient are already on the market in the Netherlands and Southeast Asia. While the coming months will see some of Rousselot’s customers launching products that will carry the label “hydrolyzed type 2 collagen.”

The market for ingredients that target joint and bone health is booming. Innova Market Insights data has shown that seven percent of UK consumers used prescription medication for bone health in the past year, while 21 percent used prescription medication for joint health. The market researcher’s data has further shown that mobility is one of the top concerns for UK and US consumers, while products featuring mobility claims accounted for almost 17 percent of all supplements tracked globally between 2013 and 2017.