Karting, Collagen, and Comeback: How I’m Rebuilding My Elbows After Injury

A few weeks ago, I found myself in a pretty familiar state: sore, frustrated, and googling phrases like “how to fix tendon pain fast.” But this time, it wasn’t from training. It was from karting.

To be fair, it was a perfect storm. Earlier that week I’d done a punishing HYROX session, followed by a night of rock climbing—and then came a full weekend of karting. By Sunday lunchtime, mid-race day, both my elbows were on fire. The pain was sharp and radiated from the inside and outside of the elbow, up into the triceps.

But here’s the thing—it’s not just driving that punishes the elbows.

Even picking the kart up onto the trolley, or wrenching at sprockets between sessions, puts strain on the tendons. Combine that with non-stop adrenaline, and repetitive grip tension, and you’ve got a recipe for overuse injuries—especially if you’re already loaded from other sports.

With more race weekends coming up, I had to take action. I went deep into tendon rehab protocols, isometric training, and yes—collagen supplements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhxpuAzDpZg&t=881s

Why Karting Wrecks Elbows (and What You Can Do About It)

Karting might look like a seated sport, but any driver knows it’s incredibly physical. No power steering. G-forces on every corner. Constant micro-corrections on the wheel. Your arms and elbows take a beating—especially over a full weekend.

In my case, karting didn’t cause the injury outright—but it definitely triggered it. My tendons were already fatigued from heavy grip work in the gym and climbing. The karting just lit the fuse.

The Two-Part Plan: Isometrics + Collagen

After some proper digging, I found a recovery approach that made sense. It wasn’t about resting and hoping—I needed to stimulate tendon repair, not just avoid pain.

1. Isometric Exercises: The Missing Link

Isometrics are exercises where your muscles contract without movement—you create force, but nothing changes length. Think wall sits, planks, or pushing against an immovable object.

For tendons, isometrics are especially powerful because they:

• Load the tendon without aggravating it (no joint motion = less irritation)
• Trigger collagen production inside the tendon
• Help reduce pain by modulating nerve input

This is different from “pumping iron,” which loads muscle through repeated motion. While that’s great for strength and hypertrophy, it’s not the optimal stimulus for tendon rehab—and if you’re already injured, can actually hinder the recovery process.

What I did, 4 sets of 20-30 seconds each way:

• Wrist isometrics: Holding wrist flexion/extension positions with effort
• Biceps/triceps desk pushes: Pressing/pulling into a countertop
• Pull-up holds: Just hold at the top, no reps
• Rotational holds: A pinned broom handle, resisting rotation both ways

All of these gave me a way to train the tendon directly—without worsening the pain.

2. Collagen + Vitamin C Before Loading

The other big piece of the puzzle came from the research of Dr. Keith Baar, a tendon biologist at UC Davis. In one key study, he showed that taking collagen with vitamin C before exercise doubled collagen synthesis markers in healthy adults (Shaw et al., 2017).

Here’s the protocol:

• 15–20 g of gelatin or hydrolysed collagen
• 50 mg of vitamin C (or a glass of OJ)
• Taken 30–60 minutes before tendon-loading activity

The idea is simple: give your body the raw materials right before it’s prompted to rebuild tissue. That way, collagen synthesis is enhanced exactly when it’s needed.

I used a collagen supplement with bioactive peptides and vitamin C. Easy, low-risk, and evidence-based.

The Research That Backed It Up

Here are a few key studies that made me commit to this approach:

• Shaw et al., 2017 – 15g of vitamin C–enriched gelatin taken 1 hour before exercise doubled collagen synthesis markers (PINP) in human subjects. Am J Clin Nutr.
  
• Zdzieblik et al., 2017 – 5g of collagen per day reduced joint pain in young athletes during physical activity. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab.
  
• Lee et al., 2023 – 30g collagen + 500mg vitamin C improved tendon stiffness by 18% in elite female footballers. Frontiers in Physiology.
  
• Carrillo-Norte et al., 2025 – In osteoarthritis patients, 10g collagen daily for 24 weeks reduced pain and improved joint function. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications.

My Karting Results So Far

I’ve now done two karting weekends since adopting this protocol—collagen before the session, isometrics during the week, and smarter warm-ups at the track.

And while my elbows aren’t perfect, they’re far better than they were. I can grip longer, wrench sprockets without pain, and hold good form through the corners. Most importantly, the downward spiral seems to have stopped.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a karter with wrist, elbow, or forearm issues—and you're doing more than just driving (tuning, lifting, wrenching)—this combo could really help.

What worked for me:

• Isometrics, not weights – Especially in rehab, static holds win
• Collagen + vitamin C – Taken 30–60 min before loading
• Stick to the routine – Tendons respond slowly, but they do respond
• Minimal downside – Worst case? You wasted a few quid. Best case? You extend your season and stay pain-free