ProView – Gnarly Nutrition Collagen Pro

The aging athlete.  Ahh (sigh) one of my favorite topics.  I remember being 18 and feeling indestructible.  I would climb all day, stay up all night, get injuries, and then recover from it all the next day.  No big deal.  Well… fast forward nearly two decades, and those days are long gone.

After a gnarly (pun intended) mountain bike crash in 2016 where I suffered a dislocated shoulder, finger, and severe concussion, I still have not recovered fully and will likely need shoulder surgery in the future.  Combine that with a major meniscus surgery the year before from a ski injury and it starts to really add up.  

One of the things my doctor told me I could do to help support my healing and reduce re-injuring my knee or shoulder was weight lifting.  Building up the muscle, tendons, and joints would prove to be a solid preventative measure.  I began lifting and following a routine at the gym after my climbing sessions. One thing that has changed and I have certainly noticed is joint and tendon pain.  If I lift a little too hard or do not keep my form I can end up feeling it that night.  

Taste

My morning routine consists of a quick protein shake and a cup of coffee before heading off to the gym and then work.  This has definitely helped grow muscle and see the results from my gym sessions.  I love the creaminess that the collagen provides to my shake and how easy it blends right up.  While there is no flavor to this product, it definitely adds a pleasant texture.

Performance

After conducting some research in the medical literature via Google Scholar on the proven benefits of collagen supplementation, it appears that there is some evidence that it can help improve health but the science does not appear definitive at this time (side note — it has been shown to help with skin and wrinkles).  I have been suffering from some finger tendon pain from bouldering a lot lately and while I did not notice anything immediately, I do feel as though the intense pain has subsided a little since starting using this product.

Summary

I now integrate Gnarly Collagen Pro into my morning shake and it is great. Not only does it add a nice smooth creamy texture to the mix but I have been experiencing less tendon pain since I started. I love that it is pasture-raised and they use Vitamin C to help absorption. The size is ideal also, as it is not a big bulky item and I can quickly slip it in my drawer next to my protein powder. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone already using a protein shake and especially to anyone experiencing joint and tendon pain from their workouts.

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