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Comment by stacktrust | Hacker News Reader

> Osteoarthritis occurs when a joint is stressed by aging, injury or obesity. The chondrocytes begin to release pro-inflammatory molecules and to break down collagen, which is the primary structural protein of cartilage. When collagen is lost, the cartilage thins and softens; the accompanying inflammation causes the joint swelling and pain that are hallmarks of the disease.

Collagen synthesis in the human body can be aided by hydrolyzed collagen, Vitamin C, zinc and copper.

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A recent meta analysis suggests the positive results for collagen are mostly funding bias. See discussion here:

https://massresearchreview.com/2025/09/29/connecting-the-dot...

I have been taking collagen, but will likely stop.

Among endurance athletes collagen supplements have become increasingly popular the past couple years -- from what I understand the evidence is kind of mixed though

e.g. https://thefeed.com/products/pillar-performance-collagen-1?v...

I don't get what's the supposed mechanism of action here. Collagen is a hard to digest protein and it has to get digested to be processed and then it's no longer collagen. Why not just eat any other protein source instead?

Yes, that seems to sort of be the criticism and mixed results. Although not everyone has a complete protein diet so theoretically although it breaks down the idea is you then have all the things you need, should your body choose to use it to build collagen.

But I agree, I'd rather start solving deficiencies at the diet level than the supplement level and haven't integrated collagen personally so far.

TBH I suspect marketing plays a big role. "Collagen = good, therefore just buy it and eat it" makes logical sense if you don't actually do any research first.

Different protein sources have different amino acid compositions and they have different effects on the body.

Still, if you eat enough complete protein sources you'll have all the amino acids you need.

Likely yes, but I've had enough chicken breast for life during my fit 20s. I just don't feel like stuffing myself with tasteless sources of protein anymore and testy ones (burgers, steaks, grilled salmon, etc.) will cause unwanted side effects and risks when consumed in high amounts.

Even bodybuilders and powerlifters admit that 2g protein per kg of body weight is about all you need. You can get that with a normal diet and a couple of protein shakes, which taste fine if you use milk and half a banana. You don't need to eat a whole chicken breast for every meal.

I made spaghetti bolognese last night and it had 60 grams of protein per 800 kcal serve. Admittedly I used lean kangaroo mince, because I'm Australian and it was on sale. Still: three meals like that and you wouldn't even need a protein shake.

> lean kangaroo mince

I first read "mice" which was startling, then realized it was "mince" and then realized it was kangaroo! How would you describe the flavor?

Gamy, a bit like deer.

I have yet to see anything against regular eating of fish and fatty fish other than the "scare" of heavy metals, which only applies for wild fish.

Maybe, maybe not. It would depend on a variety of factors including the activities you do, your age, etc. Maybe athletes need more collagen compared to people who don’t exercise, etc, etc.

Also complete protein sources are definitely not easy to get. Good luck if you have dietary constraints.

Notably, whey is a complete protein source and very easy to get, while collagen is a crappy source.

I just wish whey was as easy to get unflavored. Let me handle the flavoring, you provide the protein.

Yes, I'm aware you can buy unflavored whey protein, but it's more expensive and you have to order it online. I can get a huge tub of "Delicious quadruple chocolate delight" BS from Costco for comparative pennies.

Quinoa is a complete protein, containing all amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own, and is gluten free.

You need to eat a ton of quinoa. Only the most dedicated vegan bodybuilder will eat that much quinoa. No thanks.

Also, only animal sources contain hydroxyproline amino acid in significant amounts, which you pretty much only get from collagen sources.

So while quinoa and other like even whey might advertise themselves as complete protein sources, no, they do not contain all the amino acids humans can use in significant amounts.

Hydroxyproline isn't essential though, humans can produce their need from collagen, which they also produce as well as most other animals.

> You need to eat a ton of quinoa

Most don't: at 4.4% protein, a 65kg man like me needs 1.5kg of cooked quinoa per day and it's not a big deal:

- You'll digest it like a king: quinoa is full of soluble and insoluble fibers and you won't feel puffy for eating too much. Easy in, easy out.

- Like milk or wheat, there's many transformations possible like flour, flakes, marinades, beverages, soups... alway a joy to cook and eat, no boredom with that grain.

Can't speak for the bodybuilders though but I'm sure most manage they nutrition. I think soy/pea is more popular.

By the way, very few eats only quinoa or any other single aliment. They also get amino acids from grains, pulses and seeds... even fruits like tomatoes but it's obviously negligible.

Quinoa is also fulled with minerals, vitamins and it's proteins have the same biological value (BV) as beef - or more depending on the source.

> its high-quality protein, complete set of amino-acids, and high content of minerals and vitamins. [0]

> exceptional balance between oil, protein and fat [1]

> Quinoa has a high biological value (73%), similar to that of beef (74%) [2]

0 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15528014.2022.2...

1 https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa...

2 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303845280_Quinoa_Ch...

There are plenty of studies showing that collagen supplementation helps athletes. Which means there are cases where the body doesn’t produce enough collagen for itself. And as you age, your body produces less collagen. Reasons enough to supplement with collagen.

Vegan bodybuilders would just use pea/rice protein extracts, which are about as commercially available as whey (very).

> Also complete protein sources are definitely not easy to get.

... all of the essential amino acids? What is difficult about that?

I was going to say that too, thanks for beating me to it!

Evidence seems to be lacking though. Do you have any specific source in mind?

There's very good evidence coming out of UC Davis.

they have MRIs, decent experimental evidence, and biochemical explanations.

They have published quite a few papers over the years.

You can start here, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9267994/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5183725/

Look up Keith Baar.

Keith Baar's videos on YT have helped me a lot; both for treating my knee pain and for increasing overall muscle strength. The videos tell you how to heal or strengthen your tendons, ligaments, and muscles.

I found that second link interesting although it raised the question of why gelatin versus amino acids in general.

However neither link seems to have anything to do with UC Davis or biochemical mechanisms related to collagen supplementation. I realize that it probably wasn't your intent but the mismatch leaves me feeling vaguely as though you tried to deceive me there.

They have published a lot of stuff.

I don't remember the exact link for the biochem stuff. Something about collagen being glycine limited and vitamin C being a catalyst for synthesis for tendon tissue regrowth.

Here are the two papers I remember reviewing.

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2wn8s39q

https://escholarship.org/content/qt2j57t1j1/qt2j57t1j1.pdf

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