collagen

[usta2050]

I've been taking collagen (from costco) and doing standing 1/4 squats for 20 min a day. and my knees are feeling pretty good. anyone taking collagen here too?

[Chas Tennis]

You are doing a quarter squat?

I recently read that doing shallow squats that do not engage the hamstrings, as the deeper squats do, can strengthen the quads and neglect the hamstrings and lead to muscle imbalances.
Seems reasonable but research elsewhere. See section -"Are deep squats bad for the knees"?
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wi...ifts#The_Squat
I interpret the comments to apply to a healthy knee.

Any TW posters who squat have opinions or links on this shallow-squat issue?

You could probably do separate hamstring exercises other than the squats. I'd always stretch the the quads and hamstrings. I've posted many times on tight rectus femorus, the only quad that goes over two joints the knee and hip, the other quad muscles are one joint knee muscles.

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Biology and basic chemistry tells me little to none collagen you intake will actually make it to your joints.

Very few proteins survive in the stomach's acidic environment. Not to mention the amount of proteinases in your saliva alone.

Functional collagen is comprised of numerous cross-linked structures. And I just don't think it can survive intact enough to function at the joints.

[usta2050]

thanks, CT and SCSL, I am learning new things from TT everyday.

[ollinger]

Say Chi is not only correct but it's worse than that; collagen has a structure difficult for protease (digestive) enzymes to attack, so compared to other proteins less of it is digested and more excreted in fragments. So you're better off eating other forms of protein, as collagen is synthesized from amino acids that make up most proteins.