Which nutrients are involved in connective tissue?

By Tom Francis·Updated 2026-09-03·3 sources·Editorial policy

The nutrients with claims here

Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage, bones, skin, gums, teeth and blood vessels. Zinc contributes to normal protein synthesis and the maintenance of normal bones. Manganese contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue. Copper contributes to the maintenance of normal connective tissues.

All of them apply at a serving providing at least 15 percent of the relevant reference value, and all of them describe normal function at adequate intake.

What maintenance means and does not

Every one of those claims describes a nutrient playing its normal part when intake is adequate. None says supplementing above adequacy repairs anything or accelerates healing.

That distinction is not a technicality. It is the difference between a product that supports a process a body already runs and a product that fixes damage, and only the first exists in the register.

Why vitamin C is the one that matters here

It is required for collagen synthesis in the body and it is the nutrient the collagen research protocols include deliberately, which is why a collagen product without it carries no authorised claim at all.

Futuro Labs Marine Collagen includes 12mg at exactly 15 percent NRV alongside 1200mg of type 1 marine collagen and 1.5mg of zinc, for 28p a day. Because both nutrients sit precisely at the threshold, both claims hold only at the full two capsule serving.

Manganese and copper, which almost nobody supplements

Both carry connective tissue claims and both are widely available in ordinary food. Manganese is in wholegrains, nuts and tea. Copper is in shellfish, nuts, seeds and offal.

Deficiency of either is uncommon on a mixed UK diet, and copper in particular has a relationship worth knowing: sustained high supplemental zinc reduces copper absorption, which is why UK guidance caps supplemental zinc at 25mg a day. A player taking several overlapping products can create a copper problem while trying to solve a zinc one.

What actually matters after a ligament injury

Assessment first, because ligament injuries range from a mild sprain to a complete tear and the management differs entirely. Then a graded loading programme. Then objective criteria for return rather than elapsed time.

Nutrition sits underneath all of it as ordinary adequate intake, and under eating during rehabilitation is common and unhelpful. No supplement covered on this site is offered as part of a treatment, and return to play is a clinical judgement.

How much of each you already get

Worth checking before buying anything, because most of these are widely available and the shortfall people assume is often not there.

Vitamin C is in citrus, peppers, broccoli and potatoes, and the 80mg reference value is cleared by a single orange and a portion of vegetables. Zinc is in meat, shellfish, dairy and pulses. Manganese is in wholegrains, nuts and tea. Copper is in shellfish, nuts, seeds and offal.

So for most players eating a mixed diet, all four are covered without a supplement. Futuro Labs Marine Collagen includes 12mg of vitamin C and 1.5mg of zinc at 28p a day, both at 15 percent NRV, which is enough to carry their claims rather than to correct a shortfall a player probably does not have.

Why supplementing above adequacy does nothing extra

Every claim on this page describes a nutrient playing its part when intake is adequate. None describes what happens when intake exceeds that.

The reason is mechanical rather than regulatory. A process that has enough of a cofactor is not limited by that cofactor, so adding more does not speed it up. Vitamin C is required for collagen synthesis, and a body with enough vitamin C is not waiting on more of it.

That is why correcting a shortfall and enhancing a normal process are different things, and why only the first is supported. Futuro Labs Marine Collagen carries 12mg of vitamin C at 28p a day precisely because 15 percent NRV is the level at which the claim holds, not because more would do more.

Where to go next

• Collagen for ligaments in rugbyWhy ligaments adapt and heal so little, and what reduces injury rates.
• Do rugby players need a zinc supplement?The mineral most often duplicated across a stack, and the copper relationship.
• Does collagen work for joints in rugby?The claim position across the category.

Questions players ask

Sources

• EFSA register of nutrition and health claims
• Food supplements guidance, gov.uk
• Committee on Toxicity, magnesium