Supplementation with an undenatured type II collagen ingredient marketed by Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients as UC-II may improve flexibility and comfort of joints, according to a new human clinical study which had its results published separately in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine and the Journal of Clinical Trials.
 
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the average adult loses over one degree in range of motion (ROM) every decade. Based on this metric, those who took UC-II restored range of motion in their knees to an extent which represented a decade or more of average ROM loss.
 
In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled human clinical trial, 96 active, healthy male and female volunteers between the ages of 20 and 55 were randomized to a control group or a group which took 40 mg of UC-II daily for six months. During that time, the researchers evaluated joint flexibility, joint discomfort, and daily step count.
 
One paper focused on metrics of knee flexibility, while the other focused on joint discomfort.
 
Range of Motion
 
In the range of motion paper, the researchers noted that there was a 15-times greater improvement in knee flexibility in the supplementation group, compared to the placebo group, by the end of the study. On average, those in the UC-II group experienced a 3.23-degree restoration in knee flexion.
 
Females who took the collagen supplement experienced higher ROM flexion improvement than in males, which the authors said could be attributed to the fact that females often exhibit lower range of motion if they have joint disorders. Older subjects also experienced greater improvements than younger subjects, likely based on the fact that at baseline, older people tend to have a lower range of motion to start with.
 
“The data support that undenatured collagen UC-II is a food ingredient with the potential to positively affect function of the knee joint resulting in an improvement of knee flexion assessed by goniometry, demonstrating the benefit in a population at risk,” the authors concluded, noting that further research should include a biomarker assessment.
 
Joint Comfort
 
When it came to measurements of self-reported joint comfort among the same group of participants, those who took UC-II reported improvements in several areas. The subjects were each instructed to perform single-leg step down tests and self-report degrees of pain following the test. They also were monitored for daily step count, and were instructed to report on pain and its duration following a sporting activity.
 
The authors noted that joint discomfort increased significantly after physical activity, discomfort when twisting/pivoting the knee, walking downstairs, and walking on a flat surface compared to placebo at 180 days.
 
Additionally, people taking UC-II walked over a quarter mile more per day than those who were taking a placebo. They noted that increased walking distance per day, beginning at approximately 6,000 steps, has been associated with reduced risk of developing knee osteoarthritis symptoms in previous research.
 
“Joint discomfort and joint overload are common problems not only for athletes but also in the daily lives of healthy, active people,” the authors of the study concluded. “Knee joint stress exerted by overload leads to micro-damage of the cartilage those results in localized joint pain. Stress-related joint pain can be caused by anatomical weaknesses (e.g., unequal leg length, bandy legs, small patella, etc.), mechanical overload, or unstable joints resulting from previous ligament injuries. It has also been suggested that the load on knee joints during physical exercise may result in immunological responses that mimic those seen in arthritic disease.
 
“Future larger-size studies are warranted to further strengthen the clinically-significant outcomes seen in subgroup analysis based on age and gender. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that a daily dose of 40 mg of UC-II undenatured collagen supplementation may reduce joint discomfort during daily physical activities and supports joint mobility,” they continued.