COL5A1: The reason Why you keep getting injured.
COL5A1 is one of the most overlooked genes when it comes to performance, injury risk, and recovery. It’s not trendy, it’s not buzzy, but it is foundational.
This gene codes for a protein that helps produce type V collagen. This is a structural collagen found in your ligaments, tendons, and connective tissue. Think of it as the scaffolding that keeps your body from falling apart under pressure. When this gene is working properly, your tissue is stable, strong, and resilient. But if you carry certain variants? Your collagen is weaker, your joints are looser, and you’re way more likely to snap something mid-sprint.
The Variant That Matters
The key genetic marker in COL5A1 is rs12722. It influences how much type V collagen your body makes. Which directly affects your flexibility, stiffness, and injury risk.
There are 3 variants: CC, TT, and CT.
You have one of these.
TT variant: Means you have stiffer tendons and less flexibility, but lower risk of injury.
CT variant: Means you have balanced risk and mobility.
CC variant: Means you have greater flexibility and looser joints, but a higher risk of soft tissue injuries and a high demand for collagen-building nutrients.
Those with the CC genotype also tend to have more elastic tissue. That might sound like a good thing, until your body overextends and your ACL disagrees. Meaning you must be on point with your diet, because your DNA isn’t doing you any favors.
What This Means for Performance
COL5A1 is critical for anyone whose body is their business: professional athletes, lifters, and other high performers. If your connective tissue is genetically prone to instability, you need to train differently. You need to recover differently. And you need to know that aggressive stretching, deep tissue work, or skipping warm-ups could be setting you up for injury.
In my practice, I use COL5A1 data to provide nutrition information that reinforces your framework.
COL5A1 issues can’t be solved by diet alone, but without the right foods, you’re practically inviting injuries. Here’s what I recommend based on your genotype:
1. Collagen Precursors: Your body makes collagen from amino acids… but only if it has the right building blocks.
Glycine, proline, and lysine are critical (found in collagen-rich cuts like oxtail, short rib, skin-on chicken, or a quality collagen peptide powder)
Vitamin C activates collagen formation (bell peppers, citrus, acerola, camu camu). If you have a high-risk genotype (CT or CC), collagen powder & vitamin C pre-training isn’t optional. It’s protocol.
2. Copper & Manganese: These minerals stabilize collagen cross-linking. They’re essential for strength and elasticity.
Copper: shellfish, liver, cashews
Manganese: oats, chickpeas, pineapple, leafy greens
Low intake = weaker collagen = higher risk of soft tissue strain
3. Anti-Inflammatory Reinforcement: Tissues under constant stress need a calm environment to repair.
Omega-3s (wild salmon, sardines, flaxseed oil)
Polyphenols (berries, green tea, pomegranate)
Spices (turmeric, ginger, Ceylon cinnamon). If you’re genetically at risk, your connective tissue is more vulnerable to microtraumas & inflammation will only slow healing.
4. Bone Broth ≠ Marketing Hype: For COL5A1 risk carriers, bone broth isn’t just a trend. It’s functional nutrition.
The gelatin and amino acids it provides are exactly what genetically weaker tendons are starving for.
Pro tip: Pair it with vitamin C to trigger collagen synthesis.
Eat for Your Structure.
The truth is, your injury risk isn’t just about how you train; it’s also about how you feed your fascia.
If your DNA says you’re more likely to tear, strain, or overextend, your nutrition has to go beyond macros. You need micronutrients, amino acids, and collagen cofactors working around the clock.
This is the kind of strategy I use with elite athletes and high-performance clients: genetic insight & precision nutrition. Because recovery isn’t just about rest. It’s about the raw materials you’re giving your body to rebuild… at the molecular level.
—KB
