Hydrolyzed Collagen + Vit C before PT for elbow ROM recovery: clinically useful or mostly theoretical?
Hi everyone,
I’m currently undergoing physical therapy to regain elbow ROM after an injury following a non-displaced radial head fracture that required ~20 days of immobilization in a cast.
The mechanical pain/stress is mainly localized around the distal biceps tendon during stretching/mobilization, with a more diffuse, dull ache around the triceps tendon throughout the day. The issue appears primarily tendinous/connective rather than intra-articular.
I’ve been reading about hydrolyzed collagen (Type I) + Vitamin C taken ~45–60 minutes before rehab sessions to potentially support tendon remodeling and load tolerance alongside mechanical loading.
Neither my orthopedic doctor nor my PT mentioned it, which made me wonder to what extent the current literature actually translates into meaningful clinical outcomes.
I fully understand that progressive loading, rehab quality, sleep, and adherence are doing the vast majority of the work here, and that supplementation would only represent a marginal adjunct at best.
To the professionals here:
- Do you ever recommend this protocol in clinical practice for tendon-focused rehab?
- Have you noticed any meaningful differences in recovery quality, ROM progression, or post-PT soreness?
- Do you think the current evidence (e.g., Keith Baar’s work) is clinically relevant, or mostly interesting mechanistic data with limited real-world impact?
- Are there other nutritional strategies you find more useful during connective tissue rehab?
Thanks in advance for your insights.
Disclaimer: I am a layperson undergoing supervised PT. I am not seeking medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan.
