The Collagen Thread

[Wantmorebulge]

I wouldn't worry about the type of collagen you eat, as it will be broken down into it's constituent amino acids in the stomach. The types are important when considering changes occurring inside the body, such as the changes to collagen typing as a result from changes to sheer strain applied to the tunica.

[Iguana]

...There may also be an increase in tunica's ability to stretch as the tunica may utilize increased collagen to create a larger tunica but not necessarily a thicker tunica, which too might explain the "stretchy" feel of the penis.

Interesting. Penile connective tissue (tunica included) is composed of roughly 50% collagen, 50% elastin. I'm not sure an increase in collagen would produce an increase of elasticity. Elastin would however.

[Sanjuro]

A good point Iguana, my hypothesis is merely... I guess for lack of a better explanation, mental masturbation, just my mind trying to come to terms with what I'd guess is happening.

Still don't have my collagen, which annoys me, but I'll remain... patient.

[Wantmorebulge]

Interesting. Penile connective tissue (tunica included) is composed of roughly 50% collagen, 50% elastin. I'm not sure an increase in collagen would produce an increase of elasticity. Elastin would however.

What is your evidence that there is 50% elastin in the tunica albuginea? Have you got a reference? My recallection was that the elastin content was a lot lower than this.

The rigidity of collagen comes from the extent of cross-linking. I agree that an increase in elastin would increase elasticity. The problem is that eating collagen or elastin does not automatically increase collagen or elastin anywhere in the body. When you consume proteins in your diet, your body breaks them down into their amino acids which the body can manufacture what it needs from them.

[Iguana]

What is your evidence that there is 50% elastin in the tunica albuginea? Have you got a reference? My recallection was that the elastin content was a lot lower than this.

The rigidity of collagen comes from the extent of cross-linking. I agree that an increase in elastin would increase elasticity. The problem is that eating collagen or elastin does not automatically increase collagen or elastin anywhere in the body. When you consume proteins in your diet, your body breaks them down into their amino acids which the body can manufacture what it needs from them.

Sorry, my bad. I was thinking CC & CS. I think you are right about the percentages being much lower. But this would make the addition of collagen much less likely to increase elasticity. I was also wrong on the collagen type. It is type 1. Maybe I should just shut up.


This is encouraging... Not.

The tunica albuginea is composed of fibrillar (mainly type I but also types III and V) collagen in organized arrays interlaced with elastin fibers.22,24 Peyronie's plaques are also composed almost entirely of types I and III collagen.24,25 While collagen has a greater tensile strength than steel -it is unyielding. In contrast, elastin can be stretched up to 150%, of its length.22 It is the elastin content that allows the compliance of the tunica albuginea and helps to determine stretched penile length.26
http://www.nature.com/ijir/journal/v.../3900875a.html

[justwannabebig]

This thread is getting so so so goood!

keep it comming guys

[Wantmorebulge]

Sorry, my bad. I was thinking CC & CS. I think you are right about the percentages being much lower. But this would make the addition of collagen much less likely to increase elasticity. I was also wrong on the collagen type. It is type 1. Maybe I should just shut up.

This is encouraging... Not.

The tunica albuginea is composed of fibrillar (mainly type I but also types III and V) collagen in organized arrays interlaced with elastin fibers.22,24 Peyronie's plaques are also composed almost entirely of types I and III collagen.24,25 While collagen has a greater tensile strength than steel -it is unyielding. In contrast, elastin can be stretched up to 150%, of its length.22 It is the elastin content that allows the compliance of the tunica albuginea and helps to determine stretched penile length.26
Pathophysiology of Peyronie's disease

In Peyronie's, the tunica undergoes fibrosis which certainly should be avoided, but that is different from a simple increase in collagen (or elastin). Excessive stretch can lead to fibrosis, and to changes in collagen typing (as seen in soft tissue deformation when bones are experimentally stretched, and I suspect that both are attempts but the body to regain integrity through quickly increasing rigidity.

Ideally, there would be some method of increasing elastin expression locally in the tunica, but I do not know of any means to achieve this. We need something like the opposite of fibrosis, if there is such a thing.

Thanks for the reference. Oh, and please do not shut up. It is things like this that gets us closer to working out what is really going on.

[giveitago]

I am looking forward to some folks posting after they have been on collagen for a month or two. I am still on it, however have had a very poor PE month and just doing enough to maintain (like 30mins lig stretches and 1hr extender), it's just because things are so hectic, but I plan to get back to 5-7hrs a day this week. I am still slowly gaining in spite of my poor PE sched. Last sexual encounter the wife had to push me back a few times and was like "whoahh!" hehe, she still says I can go for my 8" goal though so phew. I guess I need to be a little more careful on deep positions, but the length is really paying off in positions that suit a longer penis. Anyway..

[Sanjuro]

Heh, sweet, we got some awesome discussion going, we're a brain trust my fellow PE-ers!

I think we've perhaps exhausted, through the excellent research and debate by Iguana and Wantmorebulge that perhaps the tunica isn't the reactive element to collagen supplementation. Its intuitive and logical to assume so, but perhaps we should look elsewhere? Such as collagen's reaction in other body parts that some how results indirectly in PE gains?

I'm out of ideas, but I'm more than willing to listen.

Still haven't gotten my DAMN COLLAGEN!!!!! I'm gonna go drink souls or flip off kittens in my rage... better take the extender off before I do though...

[Sanjuro]

FINALLY!!!

Damn postal service! Anyway, I'm holding a bottle of "Hydrolyzed Collagen" made by "Puritan's pride".
Doesn't say what type of collagen it is, probably should have been a little less impulsive with my purchase of this but I'll give it a go regardless. If eternal youth is a side effect, then so be it...