Collagen Peptides and Cellular Aging

Collagen Peptides and Cellular Aging: a Randomized, Placebo-controlled Intervention Study on Telomere Length, Inflammation, Body Composition, and Functional Capacity in Middle-aged and Older Adults

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if daily collagen peptide supplementation can stabilize or lengthen telomeres and improve related markers of cellular aging in adults aged 50-70 years with overweight and low-to-moderate physical activity (healthy volunteers without major chronic disease).

Main questions it aims to answer are:

Does six months of collagen peptides stabilize or extend telomere length and increase telomerase activity compared with placebo? Are any telomere-related changes associated with lower inflammation, healthier body composition, and better functional health?

Researchers will compare collagen as an intervention to a placebo group to see if collagen will influence aging markers.

Participants will take collagen peptides or a placebo daily for 24 weeks. They will attend three study visits: one before starting the intervention (T0), one at 3 months (T1), and one at 6 months (T2). At each visit, blood samples will be collected to measure telomere length, telomerase activity, and inflammation/redox markers. Participants will also undergo body composition assessments using bioelectrical impedance, complete functional tests of muscle strength and mobility, and fill out questionnaires on health and vitality.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy Aging; Biological Ageing; Longevity
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Collagen peptides; Dietary supplement: Maltodextrin (Placebo)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 125
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Daniel König, Univ. Prof. Dr.; Phone Number: +43-1-4277-59130; Email: daniel.koenig@univie.ac.at

Study Locations

• Austria
  • State of Vienna
    • Vienna, State of Vienna, Austria, 1070
      • Recruiting
      • University of Vienna, NuTraLab
      • Contact: Jana Schneider; Phone Number: +43-1-9909194-200; Email: jana.schneider@univie.ac.at

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged 50-70 years; both male and female participants are eligible
• Body mass index (BMI) 25-30 kg/m²
• Low to moderate physical activity: not meeting current WHO recommendations (<150 minutes/week) or ≤2 sessions/week structured training
• Able to live independently and mobile in daily life
• No regular resistance training within the past 6 months
• Provision of written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosed chronic diseases relevant to the immune system, metabolism, or cellular aging (e.g., diabetes mellitus, cancer, cardiovascular, rheumatologic diseases)
• Use of immunomodulatory, systemic anti-inflammatory, or hormonal medications (e.g., corticosteroids, immunosuppressants)
• Acute infections or surgeries within the last 3 months
• Regular use of supplements known to affect oxidative stress or cellular aging (e.g., high-dose antioxidants, CoQ10, omega-3 fatty acids, high-dose vitamin D)
• Participation in another clinical study within the last 3 months
• Vegetarian or vegan diet (product contains animal-derived collagen)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Collagen Peptides; Participants receive daily oral supplementation with specific collagen peptides for 24 weeks. Allocation is randomized 1:1 and double-blinded against placebo. Study visits occur at baseline (T0), 3 months (T1), and 6 months (T2). Blood samples are collected to assess telomere length (qPCR T/S ratio) and telomerase activity (TRAP), alongside inflammation and redox markers. Body composition (bioelectrical impedance), functional tests (muscle strength, mobility), and questionnaires on health and vitality are also performed. The intervention aims to test whether six months of collagen peptides stabilize or extend telomeres and increase telomerase activity compared with placebo.	Dietary supplement: Collagen peptides; Collagen peptides (oral daily supplementation), taken once daily for 24 weeks in a randomized 1:1, double-blind design; primary outcomes: telomere length (qPCR T/S) and telomerase activity (TRAP), with inflammatory/redox markers as secondary endpoints. Target population: adults 50-70 years with BMI 25-30 and low-to-moderate activity; vegetarians/vegans excluded due to animal-derived collagen. Matched maltodextrin placebo, identical dosing and visit schedule (T0, T1, T2), serving as the comparator to isolate collagen peptide effects in the parallel-group, double-blind trial. Products are approved as foods; prior clinical studies reported no substance-related adverse effects.
Placebo Comparator: Maltodextrin; Participants receive a daily placebo matched in a double-blind design for 24 weeks, with the same schedule of study visits at T0, T1, and T2 and the same assessments (blood biomarkers of telomere biology, inflammation/redox; body composition; functional tests; questionnaires) as the verum arm. Maltodextrin serves as the control to compare effects against collagen peptides in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial.	Dietary supplement: Maltodextrin (Placebo); Placebo instead of the collagen peptides

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Telomere length	Changes in leukocyte telomere length (qPCR) from peripheral blood	Baseline and after supplementation (24 weeks)
Telomerase Activity	Changes telomerase activity measured via TRAP Assay from peripheral blood	Baseline and at the end of supplemention (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in DNA-oxidation markers	Change in DNA Damage measured through comet assay	Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in micronuclei	Change in Micronulei measured through CBMN-Assay	Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change from baseline in Inflammatory markers	Changes in plasma concentrations of interleukins like IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha	Baseline and at the end of supplemention (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in the redox/antioxidant status	Change in superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase via enzymatic tests to assess oxidative stress	Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in body composition	Change in fat-free mass and fat mass in kg by bioelectrical impedance	Basline, after 3 months and at the end of the supplementation (24 weeks)
Change from baseline metabolic markers	Change in serum lipid profile and fasting glucose in mg/dL	Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in hormonal markers	Change in serum IGF-1and DHEA in ng/mL measured through immunoassays	Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in muscle strength	Change in maximal handgrip and leg strength assessed by dynamometry and leg press	Baseline, after 3 months and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in dietary intake	Change in dietary intake from standardized 3-day food records to contextualize biomarker and functional outcomes	Baseline, after 3 months and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in patient-reported outcomes like quality of life	Change in health-related quality of life, measured through WHOQOL questionnaire	Baseline, after 3 months and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)
Change of phase angle	Change in phase angle by bioelectrical impedance	Basline, after 3 months and at the end of the supplementation (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in Insulin		Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in patient-reported outcomes like sleep quality	Change in health-related sleep quality meausred through Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire	Baseline, after 3 months and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in patient-reported outcomes like health	Change in health measured through PHQ-9 questionnaire	Baseline, after 3 months and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in patient-reported outcomes like fatigue	Change in health- related outcomes like fatigue measured through FAS questionnaire	Baseline, after 3 months and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)
Change from baseline in oxidative stress	Change in glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG)	Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Vienna
• Collaborators: CRI Collagen Research Institute GmbH

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 22, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 23, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 2, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 5, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 28, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Aging; Collagen; Supplements; Patient Care; Healthspan; Cellular aging
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: maltodextrin
• Other Study ID Numbers: 01400; Gelita-AG (Other Identifier: represented by: CRI - Collagen Research Institute Managing Director: Dr. Steffen Oesser Schauenburgerstr. 116 D-24118 K)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No