Dr. Rhonda Patrick

That's one area where, again, you mentioned tissues with a lot of collagen might be more important.

Well, the other interesting thing, too, would go back to that signaling role because, again, I've seen, and this is, as you mentioned, largely in vitro when scientists are looking at mechanistic potential explanations, is that these collagen peptides that are small, they're decreasing matrix metalloproteinases that are breaking down collagen.

They're increasing enzymes that are synthesizing collagen in the skin.

These are skin cells, fibroblasts, but...

Do you think there might be beneficial aspects to consuming a type of what you in some ways called low protein source because it doesn't have all the great amino acids for skeletal muscle protein synthesis?

But, you know, proline, hydroxyproline, glycine, it's high in arginine.

Arginine plays a role in, you know, our vascular system.

Do you think there could be a role just for consuming hydrolyzed collagen powder just for those amino acids that are a little more abundant in that type of protein source?

Yeah, I don't know that most people are consuming high amounts of proline and glycine and hydroxyproline from food sources unless they are eating the cartilage of their chicken and boiling the bone broth.

I mean, yes, some people are doing that, but the general population is not.

And so it is easier to take a hydrolyzed collagen powder, which has a much higher concentration of those specific amino acids, than eating a steak.

Do you know of a role that growth hormone plays in collagen synthesis?

Yeah, I mean, you increase growth hormone with exercise.

Well, thank you so much, Luke, for this very enlightening conversation, for all your research that you've done.

Before we, you know, before we leave, I'd like to ask one last question about your personal routine.

I mean, how you apply maybe some of the principles you've learned through your research and others for your nutrition, your exercise workout, like frequency, I mean, what you aim to do, perhaps what you do and what you aim to do.

And as I heard from you say earlier, you mostly don't eat a lot during the day and then eat most of your... Yes, but that's not a good thing.

Well, thank you so much, Luke, for coming on the show and talking about your research and the importance of protein and resistance training in muscle physiology.

A big thank you to Dr. Luke Van Loon for coming on the podcast and thank you for listening.

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