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NCT Number: NCT07456449

Collagen Peptides and Cellular Aging

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Longevity Biological Ageing Healthy Aging

Age range

50 year–70 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Vienna, NuTraLab

Vienna, State of Vienna, 1070, Austria

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Jana Schneider

CONTACT

[email protected]

+43-1-9909194-200

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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)

Treatment and study plan

Collagen Peptides

Dietary Supplement

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.

Maltodextrin (Placebo)

Dietary Supplement

Placebo instead of the collagen peptides

Primary outcomes

  1. Telomere length

    Time frame: Baseline and after supplementation (24 weeks)

    Changes in leukocyte telomere length (qPCR) from peripheral blood

  2. Telomerase Activity

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of supplemention (24 weeks)

    Changes telomerase activity measured via TRAP Assay from peripheral blood

  3. Change from baseline in DNA-oxidation markers

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in DNA Damage measured through comet assay

  4. Change from baseline in micronuclei

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in Micronulei measured through CBMN-Assay

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change from baseline in Inflammatory markers

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of supplemention (24 weeks)

    Changes in plasma concentrations of interleukins like IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha

  2. Change from baseline in the redox/antioxidant status

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase via enzymatic tests to assess oxidative stress

  3. Change from baseline in body composition

    Time frame: Basline, after 3 months and at the end of the supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in fat-free mass and fat mass in kg by bioelectrical impedance

  4. Change from baseline metabolic markers

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in serum lipid profile and fasting glucose in mg/dL

  5. Change from baseline in hormonal markers

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in serum IGF-1and DHEA in ng/mL measured through immunoassays

  6. Change from baseline in muscle strength

    Time frame: Baseline, after 3 months and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in maximal handgrip and leg strength assessed by dynamometry and leg press

  7. Change from baseline in dietary intake

    Time frame: Baseline, after 3 months and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in dietary intake from standardized 3-day food records to contextualize biomarker and functional outcomes

  8. Change from baseline in patient-reported outcomes like quality of life

    Time frame: Baseline, after 3 months and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in health-related quality of life, measured through WHOQOL questionnaire

  9. Change of phase angle

    Time frame: Basline, after 3 months and at the end of the supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in phase angle by bioelectrical impedance

  10. Change from baseline in Insulin

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

  11. Change from baseline in patient-reported outcomes like sleep quality

    Time frame: Baseline, after 3 months and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in health-related sleep quality meausred through Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire

  12. Change from baseline in patient-reported outcomes like health

    Time frame: Baseline, after 3 months and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in health measured through PHQ-9 questionnaire

  13. Change from baseline in patient-reported outcomes like fatigue

    Time frame: Baseline, after 3 months and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in health- related outcomes like fatigue measured through FAS questionnaire

  14. Change from baseline in oxidative stress

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)

    Change in glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG)

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Daniel König, Univ. Prof. Dr.

CONTACT

[email protected]

+43-1-4277-59130

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Vienna

Other

Collaborators

  • Collagen Research Institute

Registry information

Official study title

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

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2028
First posted
Mar 6, 2026
Registry last updated
May 5, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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