Home Ingredients BODYBALANCE® (Bioactive Collagen Peptides — Gelita)
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BODYBALANCE® (Bioactive Collagen Peptides — Gelita)

Evidence Level
Limited
1 Clinical Trial
4 Documented Benefits
2/5 Evidence Score

BODYBALANCE is a bioactive collagen peptide ingredient from Gelita. Its evidence comes from placebo-controlled trials pairing 15 grams a day with 12 weeks of resistance training, including one in 97 middle-aged untrained men whose paper names BODYBALANCE as the product tested. In those trials every group followed the same resistance training programme, so the training itself did much of the work and the peptides were measured only for what they added on top.

Studied Dose 15 grams a day for 12 weeks, alongside a resistance training programme. That is the only dose and duration that has been tested.
Active Compound Specific bioactive collagen peptides, which are collagen protein broken down into short fragments (hydrolyzed collagen).

Benefits

Body composition: more fat-free mass, less fat mass

In one randomized controlled trial, 97 middle-aged untrained men took 15 grams a day of collagen peptides or placebo for 12 weeks while all of them did the same resistance training. Fat free mass rose 3.42 kg with the peptides versus 1.83 kg with placebo, and fat mass fell 5.28 kg versus 3.39 kg. Because both groups trained, training itself produced most of the change.

Supported by Trial 1

Leg strength in the middle-aged men trial

In that same trial, leg strength rose by 163 N with the peptides versus 100 N with placebo over 12 weeks, but the paper reports that this larger gain did not reach statistical significance. A third group took whey protein and landed in between, without being significantly different from either collagen or placebo, so collagen has not been shown to work better than ordinary protein.

Supported by Trial 1

Connective-tissue support

Collagen is rich in the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which the body uses to build connective tissue. The trials cited here did not measure tendons or connective tissue, so this is background chemistry rather than a tested benefit.

Supported by Trial 1

Muscle strength gains alongside resistance training

BODYBALANCE at 15 g a day with 12 weeks of resistance training beat placebo on strength in two trials: hand-grip in 77 untrained women (+2.7 vs +1.3 kg; leg strength did not differ) and quadriceps strength in 53 older men with sarcopenia (+16.5 vs +7.3 Nm). Two trials in young and middle-aged men found no significant strength advantage. No athletes were tested; Gelita supplied the product in all four and helped fund at least three.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Amino acid signaling

Collagen peptides deliver amino acids that may add to the muscle building signal of resistance training. This is a proposed explanation, not something the trials cited here measured.

2

Connective-tissue substrate

Collagen provides building blocks for the connective tissue framework that surrounds muscle and transmits force. This comes from basic biology, not from a study of this ingredient.

Clinical trials

1
Bioactive Collagen Peptides and Body Composition: RCT in Untrained Men
PubMed

Randomized controlled trial of 15 grams a day of specific bioactive collagen peptides over 12 weeks, with every group following the same resistance training programme. The paper names BODYBALANCE as the product tested, Gelita supplied it and part-funded the study, and one author disclosed financial interests related to collagen. (Zdzieblik et al. 2021, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health)

97 middle-aged untrained men who completed the study. No women and no trained athletes took part.

Fat free mass rose 3.42 kg with collagen versus 1.83 kg with placebo (p=0.010), and fat mass fell 5.28 kg versus 3.39 kg (p=0.023). Leg strength rose 163 N versus 100 N, a difference that did not reach statistical significance. A whey protein group fell in between and was not significantly different from either collagen or placebo.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Collagen peptides have generally been well tolerated in the small amount of research done so far.
Mild digestive upset is occasionally reported.
Derived from animal collagen; not suitable for vegetarians.

Important Drug interactions

No major drug interactions are established for this ingredient.
Tell your doctor about all supplements if you take prescription medication.
Use caution if pregnant, breastfeeding, or managing a health condition.

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Frequently asked questions about BODYBALANCE® (Bioactive Collagen Peptides — Gelita)

What is BODYBALANCE?

Bodybalance is a bioactive collagen peptide ingredient from Gelita. Its evidence comes from placebo-controlled trials pairing 15 grams a day with 12 weeks of resistance training, including one in 97 middle-aged untrained men whose paper names Bodybalance as the product tested.

What is BODYBALANCE used for?

BODYBALANCE is researched primarily for Muscle & Recovery and Athletic Performance. In one randomized controlled trial, 97 middle-aged untrained men took 15 grams a day of collagen peptides or placebo for 12 weeks while all of them did the same resistance training. Fat free mass rose 3.42 kg with the peptides versus 1.

What is the recommended dosage of BODYBALANCE?

The clinically studied dose is 15 grams a day for 12 weeks, alongside a resistance training programme. That is the only dose and duration that has been tested. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is BODYBALANCE safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for BODYBALANCE include: Collagen peptides have generally been well tolerated in the small amount of research done so far. Mild digestive upset is occasionally reported. It may also interact with some medications. BODYBALANCE is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does BODYBALANCE interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: No major drug interactions are established for this ingredient. Tell your doctor about all supplements if you take prescription medication. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for BODYBALANCE?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for BODYBALANCE as Limited (2 out of 5). It is backed by 1 study summary and 4 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(4 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Zdzieblik D, Jendricke P, Oesser S, et al. The Influence of Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides on Body Composition and Muscle Strength in Middle-Aged, Untrained Men. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(9)..PubMedUsed to support: Single RCT in 97 middle-aged untrained men; both arms did resistance training, the paper names BODYBALANCE (supplied by Gelita, which part-funded the study), and whey protein was not significantly different from collagen.
  2. Jendricke P, Centner C, Zdzieblik D, Gollhofer A, König D. Specific Collagen Peptides in Combination with Resistance Training Improve Body Composition and Regional Muscle Strength in Premenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2019;11(4):892..PubMedUsed to support: Double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT in 77 untrained premenopausal women. 15 g/day BODYBALANCE (named in the full text) with 12 weeks of resistance training gave a larger hand-grip strength gain than placebo (+2.7 vs +1.3 kg, p<0.05, d=0.63) and a larger fat-free mass gain. Leg strength did not differ between groups. Part-funded by GELITA.
  3. Zdzieblik D, Oesser S, Baumstark MW, Gollhofer A, König D. Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Nutr. 2015;114(8):1237-45..PubMedUsed to support: Double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT in 53 older men (mean age 72) with sarcopenia. 15 g/day BODYBALANCE (named in the full text) with 12 weeks of resistance training gave a larger isokinetic quadriceps strength gain than placebo (+16.5 vs +7.3 Nm, P<0.05) and a larger fat-free mass gain (+4.2 vs +2.9 kg). A 2025 corrigendum states that Gelita provided the samples and paid for participant compensation and sample analysis.
  4. Kirmse M, Oertzen-Hagemann V, de Marées M, Bloch W, Platen P. Prolonged Collagen Peptide Supplementation and Resistance Exercise Training Affects Body Composition in Recreationally Active Men. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1154..PubMedUsed to support: Double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT in 57 young recreationally active men. 15 g/day collagen peptides (Bodybalance, provided by GELITA) with 12 weeks of resistance training increased fat-free mass versus placebo. Strength rose in both groups, with only a trend favoring collagen. Funded by the Collagen Research Institute.