The base
Marine collagen peptides
- Marine collagen peptides15 g
15 g is the amount used in the 2017 study that inspired the ritual (see Why 45 minutes?). It comes from the skeleton of wild whitefish, not from skin.
Mix. Wait 45. Go.
Your session starts before you do.
A routine inspired by research on collagen and exercise: marine collagen with vitamin C and minerals, 45 minutes before you train.
- 15 g marine collagen peptides per serving
- + vitamin C and five minerals
- 45 minutes before every session
The ritual
The 45 minutes before you train.
- 01
MIX
One stick or one scoop in 250 ml cold water. Shake.
- 02
WAIT 45
45 minutes. Get changed, pack your bag, warm up. The 45 fills itself.
- 03
GO
A run, a lift, a match, a ride. The same ritual before every session.
Same ritual.
Every session.
The background
Why 45 minutes?
In 2017, researchers at UC Davis (Keith Baar's lab) gave 8 healthy men 15 g of vitamin C-enriched gelatin 1 hour before 6 minutes of rope skipping. When they did, a blood marker of collagen production (PINP) was twice as high. It is where the idea of taking collagen before loading comes from.
Practitioners since have suggested taking collagen 30 to 60 minutes before short, loaded sessions. The 45 sits in the middle of that window, and it is easy to remember: mix, wait 45, go.
Sources: Shaw et al., Am J Clin Nutr, 2017, Baar, Sports Med, 2017
Gelatin, not SESSION ZERO, was tested. The timing is a routine, not a promised result.
The formula
Why these ingredients
Seven ingredients in three groups. Each one is there for a reason, and every amount is printed on the pack.
The nutrients
Vitamin C, manganese, copper
- Vitamin C50 mg63%
- Manganese1 mg50%
- Copper0.5 mg50%
Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage and of bones.
Manganese contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue.
Copper contributes to maintenance of normal connective tissues.
The 50 mg of vitamin C is close to the amount paired with the gelatin in that study (about 48 mg).
The minerals
Sodium, potassium, magnesium
- Sodium200 mg–
- Potassium300 mg15%
- Magnesium56 mg15%
Sodium is the main mineral in sweat, with potassium and magnesium in smaller amounts. This is a light base, mixed into 250 ml of water: 200 mg of sodium is 0.5 g of salt, about 8% of the 6 g daily reference. Something to drink before the session, not a sports drink.
Percentages are of the EU reference intake per serving. A scoop of the powder has the same amounts.
Collagen from the North Atlantic
Collagen peptides, reinvented.
Marine collagen has mostly been sold for skin, and mostly made from fish skin. We see a bigger role for collagen peptides than the beauty aisle, and we start somewhere else: the skeleton of wild whitefish from the North Atlantic, a part that is usually thrown away.
Choose your format.
Questions
How do I use it?
Stir one stick into 250 ml of cold water, wait 45 minutes, then train.
Do I take it on rest days?
No. One stick per session, nothing on rest days.
Where does it come from?
From a single source: the skeleton of wild whitefish from the North Atlantic, which would otherwise be thrown away.