We love sport and, as a company, support events, teams, young talent- and professional athletes. Most of the GELITA staff love sport, too, and that’s great because physical exercise is good for the mind, body and spirit. There really is no better way to de-stress. ‘Happy hormones’ serotonin and dopamine flood the body during long periods of exercise and make us feel invincible. Furthermore, team sports help teach young people accountability, dedication, leadership and other skills. So what’s not to love?

Well, unfortunately, physical exertion can come at a price – with cartilage erosion being one such example. The repetitive movements of sport lead to physical stress and can cause erosion of our cartilage tissue, also known as osteoarthritis. Over time, this erosion wears down the surfaces of joints and can cause inflammation and pain. Athletes who perform over their individual limit as well as people who are overweight, are most at risk of damaging their joints during training. And, sadly, there’s no cure for osteoarthritis.

So as we all know that prevention is better than cure, the logical question should surely be: “How can we avoid the condition occurring in the first place?” As collagen is an essential component of healthy joint cartilage, one solution is collagen peptide supplementation. To prevent cartilage-related joint pain, we have developed FORTIGEL^® – a product comprised of specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides (BCP^®) that are optimized and scientifically proven to stimulate joint cartilage regeneration, and promote measurable growth of cartilage tissue. The considerable advantage of FORTIGEL^® over other ingredients typically offered to improve joint conditions is that it tackles the actual cause of the problem, rather than just the symptoms. Once consumed, FORTIGEL^® accumulates in joint cartilage, where it promotes the production of collagen and proteoglycans, the two major components of cartilage dry mass. It also combats progressive degeneration of cartilage tissue.

A Penn State University study tested the effect of CH-Alpha^®, which contains FORTIGEL^®, on sports students who were suffering from mechanical stress-based joint problems. Compared with the control group, the students who took collagen peptides showed significantly reduced joint symptoms and improved mobility. Previously, similar findings had been recorded in an observational study on active sportspeople at the Rhein-Rhur Olympic Support Center in Germany. Similar findings had been recorded in a study on young adults with activity-related knee joint pain at the University of Freiburg, Germany. The placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, observational trial showed that after only 6 weeks of oral administration 5g FORTIGEL^®, a statistically significant improvement in pain, stiffness and physical function could be observed. At the same time secondary treatments such as massage and physiotherapy have been substantially reduced.

In addition to their scientifically proven efficiency, the collagen peptides in FORTIGEL^® also have an excellent safety profile. They are well tolerated and no adverse reactions have been noted. There are no known interactions with drugs or other ingredients, and because FORTIGEL^® comprises a variety of short-chained linear peptides, its allergenic potential is extremely low.

A further plus is that since all collagen peptides are entirely natural proteins, they don’t have an e-number. As such, they are ideal for clean label formulations. Moreover, they are suitable for inclusion in most foods, including dairy products and drinks, and dietary supplements.

Curious to learn more about these collagen peptides, the latest collagen-related science or exciting sports product concepts? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of experts today!