When elite triathlete Justus Nieschlag suffered a partial rupture of his Achilles tendon, it couldn't have come at a worse time.



The Tokyo Olympics in 2021, delayed by a year because of the Coronavirus pandemic, were just around the corner and the then 29-year-old was in pain.



"Knowing I couldn't perform as I would like and I couldn't train and race 100 per cent meant it was a really tough time for me," he tells Stefan Gates in this episode of the Food Matters Live Podcast, made in partnership with GELITA.



"You prepare for four years then it's like this. It was super hard and it was not a good time for me."



Justus did compete at the Games, representing Germany in the Triathlon. Despite carrying the Achilles injury, he helped the team to an impressive sixth-placed finish in the team relay.



But after the Games came the prospect of a long period of rehabilitation. 




Profile: Justus Nieschlag





Age: 30

Nationality: German

Discipline: Triathlon

Honours: 
Germany’s middle-distance IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau record holder
Five Arena Games podium finishes
Represented Germany at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, Tokyo




Justus was told he had to stop running for three months. For context, he would usually have a two-week break at the end of the season, before returning to the track. The prospect of a complete break from running for at least 12 weeks was not a welcome one.



Up until he suffered the partial rupture of his Achilles tendon, Justus admits that nutrition was "never a big part" of his thinking. That changed when his management team recommended he start working with GELITA and, in particular, their bioactive collagen peptide supplement.




TENDOFORTE is designed to increase the health and quality of ligaments and tendons, which are made of collagen, decreasing the risk of injury and improving flexibility.



Pre-clinical and clinical trials have shown the positive effects of TENDOFORTE.




Bioactive Collagen Peptides at a Glance




Bioactive collagen peptides are protein fragments with health-promoting properties
GELITA Bioactive Collagen Peptides are optimized for specific physiological benefits
They maximize stimulation of the human cell types involved in collagen biosynthesis
GELITA applies a proprietary, carefully controlled process to obtain the beneficial peptides

About 30 per cent of our total body protein is collagen. It is the primary structural protein of connective tissues. Collagen is crucial for mobile joints, stable bones, healthy muscles, strong tendons and ligaments.



Suzane Leser, Nutritionist and Director of Nutrition Communication at GELITA, says strong tendons and ligaments contribute to the foundation of high physical performance and fast return-to-training in athletes. 



But it's not only elite sports people who need to be thinking about protecting their bodies in this way.



"We lose collagen at a rate of one or two per cent per year from around the age of 25," says Suzane. “We can slow down our collagen decline with this bioactive effect."



Listen to the full episode to find out how quickly Justus recovered whilst using TENDOFORTE, how he thinks it helped in his rehabilitation, and learn more about the science behind the supplement.




Download GELITA’s White Tissue Guide




Justus Nieschlag, Professional triathlete, member of the German National Team



Justus is the current champion and new record holder of Germany’s middle-distance IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau.



He is also set to become the most successful triathlete of all time in the Arena Games, having achieved five podium finishes since the inaugural event in Rotterdam 2020. This year, the Arena Games was the first eSport World Championship, with Justus finishing in second place.



Alongside his ever-growing triathlon career, Justus is a licensed triathlon coach, with a BA in Sports Science, currently working hard also towards a Masters in Sports Science.




Suzane Leser, Nutritionist and Director of Nutrition Comm