Benefits
Supports activity-related knee comfort
FORTIGEL® has been shown in randomized controlled trials to support reductions in activity-related knee joint discomfort in athletes and physically active adults with functional knee complaints, helping maintain comfort during training and daily movement when used consistently over several months.
Helps maintain joint mobility
By delivering specific collagen peptides that may stimulate cartilage matrix components, FORTIGEL® helps maintain joint mobility and function in adults who place demands on their knees through sport, recreation, or active work.
Supports cartilage matrix nutrition
FORTIGEL® provides amino acid building blocks such as glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline together with bioactive peptides that may serve as signaling molecules to chondrocytes, supporting the nutritional environment needed for healthy cartilage maintenance.
Convenient daily joint support
A single 5 g serving of FORTIGEL® dissolves easily in water, coffee, or smoothies and is virtually tasteless and odorless, making it a practical addition to a daily routine for adults seeking long-term joint comfort without large pill burdens.
Well-tolerated in long-term use
Across multi-month clinical trials, FORTIGEL® has shown a favorable tolerability profile with low rates of adverse events, supporting its suitability for ongoing joint comfort regimens in healthy adults and active populations.
Mechanism of action
Chondrocyte stimulation by bioactive peptides
Specific collagen peptides in FORTIGEL® are absorbed as di- and tripeptides (including hydroxyproline-containing peptides) that reach joint tissues and may signal chondrocytes to increase synthesis of type II collagen and proteoglycans, supporting cartilage matrix turnover.
Amino acid substrate delivery
Hydrolyzed collagen is enriched in glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, supplying the unusual amino acid pattern required for de novo collagen synthesis in cartilage, tendons, and ligaments around the joint.
Optimized peptide molecular weight
GELITA's proprietary enzymatic hydrolysis yields a peptide profile (~2-5 kDa) designed to maximize intestinal absorption and bioactivity at joint tissue, distinguishing FORTIGEL® from non-optimized collagen hydrolysates.
Cartilage signal modulation
Preclinical work suggests that bioactive collagen peptides can modulate chondrocyte gene expression patterns related to extracellular matrix synthesis, contributing to a more favorable balance between matrix production and degradation.
Clinical trials
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; 24 weeks; 5 g/day FORTIGEL®.
139 sport-active adults with functional knee joint pain.
Participants receiving 5 g/day FORTIGEL® reported significantly greater improvements in activity-related knee pain intensity compared with placebo, with no significant differences in adverse events. Findings support use of FORTIGEL® for athletes with functional knee discomfort.
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; 24 weeks; 10 g/day collagen hydrolysate.
147 college athletes with activity-related joint pain.
Athletes receiving collagen hydrolysate showed significant improvements in joint pain at rest, walking, standing, carrying objects, and lifting compared with placebo, with the most pronounced benefits in those with the highest pain at baseline.
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial; 24 weeks; delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC).
Adults with mild knee osteoarthritis at risk for cartilage loss.
Adults supplemented with collagen hydrolysate showed favorable changes in dGEMRIC scores in knee cartilage compared with placebo, suggesting potential beneficial effects on proteoglycan content; results were considered preliminary and warranted larger trials.