food Marketing - Technology 4/2023

Ingredients
Nutritional Support for Sports Injury
Prevention
Bioactive Collagen Peptides (BCP®) can support the musculoskeletal system from within
Being physically active has a number
of health benefits: Aerobic exercise
such as running, cycling or swimming
is good for the cardiovascular system,
while resistance training helps build
muscle mass and tone the body.
However, despite such advantages,
the risk of injury is inevitable. In
addition to proper technique and
adequate recovery time, targeted
supplementation can provide extra
support for the musculoskeletal
system, which is largely composed
of the structural protein collagen. To
support the stability of the different
parts of this system, GELITA, one of
the world’s leading manufacturers
of collagen peptides, has developed
an extensive portfolio of specific
Bioactive Collagen Peptides (BCP®).
Extraordinary structure
The musculoskeletal system is
divided into two parts: active and
passive. While the active part of the
system (skeletal muscles, fasciae
and tendons) is responsible for
movement, the passive part (bones,
cartilage, joints and ligaments)
supports the skeletal muscles and
helps to form the structure of the
body. A strong musculoskeletal
system is therefore a good basis for
preventing sports injuries.
Collagen makes up 30 per cent of the
total protein mass in the human body,
making it the most abundant protein
in the musculoskeletal system. It
helps to keep ligaments and tendons
flexible and strong, and is essential
for the proper functioning of joints.
It is also a key component of bones,
making up 95 per cent of the human
body’s bone matrix; as such, it is
essential for bone health, helping to
prevent brittleness and fractures.
Supplementing the diet with BCP®
therefore helps to promote health of
the whole musculoskeletal system
and can reduce the risk of injuries,
as proven by a number of clinical
studies.
Strong bones for a strong
foundation
GELITA has developed the specific
FORTIBONE® collagen peptides
Exercise is essential for health and wellbeing, but it is also important to be aware of sports injuries and
how best to prevent them.
which are optimised to improve
overall bone health, with their
beneficial effects confirmed by
numerous studies. An observational
study investigated the effect of
FORTIBONE® on bone fracture
healing. The study involved 28
participants with bone fractures,
including men and women between
the ages of 17 and 87. They were
randomised into two groups: The
verum group supplemented with 10g
of FORTIBONE®, while the placebo
group was given 10g of maltodextrin.
At the end of the observation period,
79 per cent of the participants taking
the BCP®, but only 50 per cent of
the placebo group, had very good or
good bone fracture healing. [1]
Researchers investigated the
effect of FORTIBONE® on bone
mineral density in a double-blind,
randomised, placebo-controlled trial
conducted in 2018 in women with
low bone mineral density at the spine
and femoral neck for 12 months. The
study included 131 women aged 46-
80 who supplemented with either 5g
of FORTIBONE® (intervention group)
or maltodextrin (placebo group) daily.
The results showed that bone density
increased significantly after taking
FORTIBONE®, while it decreased in
the placebo group. The bone mineral
density increased by 4.2 per cent in
the spine and by 7.7 per cent in the
femoral neck. [2]
copyright_Kzenon_Fotolia
Martin Walter, Category Manager
Healthy Ageing and Sports Nutrition
at GELITA, explains the mode of
action behind these results: “Our
research indicates a clear stimulating
effect on bone-building cells known
as osteoblasts. This anabolic effect
can increase collagen synthesis and
support the development of a stable
bone structure, which is essential
in endurance sports such as longdistance
running and cycling, where
micro-fractures can occur.”
20 food Marketing & Technology • August 2023