One of the most talked-about supplements for cyclists these days is collagen. Some reports have credited collagen supplementation with speeding up recovery and decreasing pain, ideal benefits for bike racers and other endurance athletes.

But do those claims hold up? It seems that while some of the benefits are overblown, there is some evidence that collagen can indeed improve functioning and may have some use in improving joint pain.

In a report in Bicycling, experts point out that the body produces less collagen as it ages. And, with less of it, flexibility is reduced.

That could mean collagen supplements have a role in replacing what is lost, and, in turn, improving or at least maintaining joint health, the report notes.

Collagen supplements are widely available in powder and pill forms on Amazon.

Go ahead and jump

Sports Performance Bulletin reports that collagen supplementation has emerged as a strategy to maintain bone mineral density, especially when combined with exercise. In particular, the report points to a study showing that jumping exercises combined with collagen supplements have led to improvements.

An 18-week study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism showed collagen supplementation in 36 elite cyclists had a positive impact on bone health in the hips and neck, with no significant effects on the whole body.

The study noted that its findings are consistent with previous longer-term interventions showing that six to 12 months of high-impact jumping exercises beneficially affected bone mineral density in the neck in both young and older individuals. It noted, however, that the affect was attributed not to an increase in bone mineral density, but the prevention of its decrease.

The findings are important in light of a 2010 study that showed pro cyclists had significantly lower levels of bone mineral density than a control group of healthy, non-cyclists who had not performed running or resistance exercises for more than one hour per week over the previous three years, Sports Performance Bulletin reports.

The bottom line

Research appears to show that cyclists can gain some benefits from collagen supplementation and there is little risk in using it. Experts say cyclists that compete in races where doping controls are used should stick to products that are NSF Certified by Sport to ensure that it does not contain banned ingredients and has been third-party tested. 

Products related to this story

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