Supplementation with cartilage hydrolysate and rosehip peel extract in physically active adults: main outcomes and exploratory findings of a randomized, placebo-controlled study on knee discomfort
- 1Symrise (Diana SAS), Saint-Nolff, France
- 2Martin Bauer Nutraceuticals S.r.l., Rivalta di Torino, Italy
- 3CEN, Dijon, France
Abstract
Background and objectives: Joint discomfort and pain during physical activity are frequent conditions in healthy adults, which can lead to mobility limitations, with multiple consequences on health and quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a food supplement which combines cartilage hydrolysate and a rosehip extract on knee pain and discomfort in physically active healthy adults, examining subgroups according to sex and menopausal status.
Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 138 participants received either 4 capsules/day of Chondractiv™ Move (CM, containing 1200 mg/day of hydrolyzed chicken cartilage and 380 mg/day of Rosa canina extract) or a placebo (maltodextrin) for 8 weeks. Activity-related knee pain was assessed on a 0-10 eVAS following a standardized single-leg step-down test (SLSD) and analyzed via an ANCOVA. Activity-related knee pain experienced during or after daily activities (0-100 eVAS), daily life pain (ICOAP questionnaire), knee function (KOOS questionnaire), quality of life (SF-12 questionnaire) and range of motion were also assessed throughout the intervention period.
Results: Participants (39.9% men, 39.1% pre-menopausal women [PreMW] and 21.0% post-menopausal women [PostMW]) with a mean age of 46.4 years and a mean BMI of 24.4 kg/m2, practiced 5.6 hours of exercise per week on average. Knee pain after SLSD significantly decreased (p < 0.0001) during the intervention in both arms in the entire population (CM: −2.2; placebo: −2.4), but with no significant difference between arms (delta −0.2 [95%CI −1.1; 0.7], p > 0.05). However, exploratory analyses in PostMW showed that the change from baseline tended to be greater with CM versus placebo (−3.4 versus −1.2; delta 2.2 [95%CI −0.2;4.7], p = 0.0712). Further exploration indicated a benefit of CM over placebo on knee pain experienced during daily activities (entire cohort; p = 0.0255) and after activity (PostMW only; p = 0.0421), and in the Sport and recreation dimension of the KOOS (PostMW; p = 0.0381). Quality of life and range of motion evolved favorably, but with no between-arm difference.
Conclusions: After eight weeks of supplementation, CM did not demonstrate superiority over placebo for the primary endpoint (pain after SLSD) but exploratory analyses indicated clinically meaningful improvements in postmenopausal women, particularly. These findings require confirmation in further large-scale studies.
Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier [NCT06714851].
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BibTeX
@article{noah2026supplementation,
title = {{Supplementation with cartilage hydrolysate and rosehip peel extract in physically active adults: main outcomes and exploratory findings of a randomized, placebo-controlled study on knee discomfort}},
author = {Lionel Noah and Cynthia G. Suarez and Arnaud Jacquot and Ralf Spreemann and Christine Juhel and Florian Rigaudier and Etienne Guillocheau and Séverine Méance},
journal = {Frontiers in Sports and Active Living},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fspor.2026.1873793},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1873793},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Supplementation with cartilage hydrolysate and rosehip peel extract in physically active adults: main outcomes and exploratory findings of a randomized, placebo-controlled study on knee discomfort
AU - Lionel Noah
AU - Cynthia G. Suarez
AU - Arnaud Jacquot
AU - Ralf Spreemann
AU - Christine Juhel
AU - Florian Rigaudier
AU - Etienne Guillocheau
AU - Séverine Méance
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
DO - 10.3389/fspor.2026.1873793
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1873793
AB - Background and objectives: Joint discomfort and pain during physical activity are frequent conditions in healthy adults, which can lead to mobility limitations, with multiple consequences on health and quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a food supplement which combines cartilage hydrolysate and a rosehip extract on knee pain and discomfort in physically active healthy adults, examining subgroups according to sex and menopausal status. Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 138 participants received either 4 capsules/day of Chondractiv™ Move (CM, containing 1200 mg/day of hydrolyzed chicken cartilage and 380 mg/day of Rosa canina extract) or a placebo (maltodextrin) for 8 weeks. Activity-related knee pain was assessed on a 0-10 eVAS following a standardized single-leg step-down test (SLSD) and analyzed via an ANCOVA. Activity-related knee pain experienced during or after daily activities (0-100 eVAS), daily life pain (ICOAP questionnaire), knee function (KOOS questionnaire), quality of life (SF-12 questionnaire) and range of motion were also assessed throughout the intervention period. Results: Participants (39.9% men, 39.1% pre-menopausal women [PreMW] and 21.0% post-menopausal women [PostMW]) with a mean age of 46.4 years and a mean BMI of 24.4 kg/m2, practiced 5.6 hours of exercise per week on average. Knee pain after SLSD significantly decreased (p < 0.0001) during the intervention in both arms in the entire population (CM: −2.2; placebo: −2.4), but with no significant difference between arms (delta −0.2 [95%CI −1.1; 0.7], p > 0.05). However, exploratory analyses in PostMW showed that the change from baseline tended to be greater with CM versus placebo (−3.4 versus −1.2; delta 2.2 [95%CI −0.2;4.7], p = 0.0712). Further exploration indicated a benefit of CM over placebo on knee pain experienced during daily activities (entire cohort; p = 0.0255) and after activity (PostMW only; p = 0.0421), and in the Sport and recreation dimension of the KOOS (PostMW; p = 0.0381). Quality of life and range of motion evolved favorably, but with no between-arm difference. Conclusions: After eight weeks of supplementation, CM did not demonstrate superiority over placebo for the primary endpoint (pain after SLSD) but exploratory analyses indicated clinically meaningful improvements in postmenopausal women, particularly. These findings require confirmation in further large-scale studies. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier [NCT06714851].
SN - 2624-9367
ER -