If you’ve looked at social media or a supplement aisle in the past year, chances are you’ve seen pastel-colored tubs of collagen peptides. This popular supplement is often marketed as supporting joint and bone health (among other things, like skin elasticity and digestion).

But do these claims actually hold up? That’s what Nick Kuhlman, a nutritional sciences Ph.D. candidate, is investigating in his dissertation.

Kuhlman recently received funding to support his work from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Foundation, one of the nation’s premiere providers of support to athletics- and kinesiology-related research.

Prior to pursuing research, Kuhlman worked as a strength and conditioning coach for several universities, including West Texas A&M University and the University of South Alabama (where he became the director of athletic performance).

“The NSCA is the gold standard organization and certification for strength and conditioning coaches, at both the professional and collegiate level,” Kuhlman says. “I was involved with that organization as a coach for many years. But they also have a foundation which is at the cutting edge in terms of research for strength and conditioning, and athletic development. As I transitioned to academia, I took advantage of the opportunity to apply for this award.”

Kuhlman’s double-blind, placebo-controlled study will examine the effects of collagen peptide supplements (using a popular commercial brand) on bone metabolism, tendon health, and biomarkers of inflammation and recovery for female distance runners. This population is doubly at risk for early-onset osteoporosis, and other bone stress injuries such as stress fractures, due to their high-impact sport and nutritional challenges.

Through analyzing bone density scans as well as biomarkers in the bloodstream, the study will investigate whether regular supplementation of collagen peptides helps prevent bone loss.

Investigating Collagen’s Health Claims

Collagen is one of the latest additions to the pantheon of popular over-the-counter supplements with compelling health claims. Since supplement marketing is largely unregulated in the United States, companies have broad leeway in their advertising.

In the case of collagen, though, there is compelling evidence that some of the health claims may actually hold up. Kuhlman mentions existing research on the supplement’s benefits for bone density among post-menopausal women. But, he says, “There’s not a whole lot of evidence in the athletic population.”

The findings of this study will help runners and other athletes assess whether they may benefit from adding collagen peptides to their supplement routines.

“Either way, whether we find some significant effects or not, I think it’s valuable,” Kuhlman says. “If we have a null finding, we can say, ‘OK, despite what you may see in these advertisements, it’s not really bearing out in the literature.’ On the flip side, if we find bone health does improve, we can help contextualize those health claims.”

Sifting through nutritional claims as a consumer can be challenging, especially since many supplements come with high price tags. How can you be sure you’re spending your money on something that will actually improve your health?

“It’s tough even for me, and for someone who’s not plugged in to the science world, I can see it being really, really challenging,” Kuhlman says, adding that individual variability can introduce even more confusion – some people may experience positive effects from a given supplement, while others may report a neutral or negative effect from the exact same product.

That’s why he’s eager to provide new data that can help consumers make informed decisions.

“I’m interested in actionable interventions that people can implement in their daily lives,” he says.

Supporting the Health of Athletic Populations

For Kuhlman, this research at the intersection of nutrition and exercise science is simply the latest step in a career devoted to nurturing athletic health. Earning his doctorate, he says, has been an exercise in understanding the scientific side of the applied work he did as a coach and trainer.

“Getting my Ph.D. was something I wanted to do for a while,” he says. “I love research. I love the process of asking a question and applying the scientific method to uncover a little bit more of the likely truth of whatever problem you’re trying to solve.”

Throughout his doctoral studies, Kuhlman has published numerous articles on sports nutrition and performance, particularly among college athletes, and has presented his research at five conferences.

After receiving his degree, he hopes to remain in the research world, exploring more questions that athletes and athletic people navigate every day. His research seeks to help people understand how nutrition and exercise can benefit everyone – not just those looking to maximize their athletic potential.

“I’m a big believer in the fact that nutrition and exercise can modulate health in so many ways,” he says. “It’s not just about ‘peak performance’ — it’s really about health. Health underpins all of this.”