Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure – from the sun or tanning beds – causes premature skin aging, a process called photoaging. But a new study in mice found that supplemental collagen, which is rich in the glycine-proline dipeptide, protects against the damaging effects of UV light exposure. Mice that received collagen during regular exposure to UV light had fewer wrinkles and other signs of photoaging than those that didn’t.
Researchers exposed young mice to one of four treatments for 12 weeks: UV light only; UV light plus low-dose collagen (300 milligrams per kilogram); UV light plus high-dose collagen (500 milligrams per kilogram); or neither exposure. They measured the animals' plasma collagen concentrations, and then, at the end of the study, they assessed the animals' skin for signs of photoaging.
They found that collagen concentrations increased considerably within 30 minutes of consumption. They also found that both low- and high-dose collagen reduced wrinkle development and skin thinning and improved the skin’s hydration.
These findings suggest supplemental collagen protects against photoaging in mice, aligning with a recent review and meta-analysis. Interestingly, some evidence suggests collagen supplementation in the setting of exercise recovery reduces joint pain and improves joint functionality but appears to have no significant effect on post-exercise muscle protein synthesis necessary for hypertrophy and muscle collagen protein synthesis.
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