Bone Broth Benefits for Athletes: What the Research Actually Says

Bone broth has attracted a lot of hype in the social media wellness space. And while I love a salty mug of warm broth, not every Instagram reel out there is providing accurate, science-based information about this and a lot of the content is exaggerated. However, there are a handful of actual benefits supported by some scientific studies.

As a dietitian, I’m excited to break down these bone broth benefits for athletes below. Note that several have question marks, which means the research isn’t strong enough yet to state those benefits conclusively.

Disclaimer: This post was written and reviewed by Chrissy Carroll, MS, MPH, RD. It is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as individual nutrition advice. Consult a dietitian or doctor for personal guidance.

1. Helps you rehydrate after a workout

IMO, bone broth as a hydration option is one of the most understated benefits.

I know you might be thinking you can easily use a sports drink or chocolate milk or another post-workout option. All very true.

But picture this – one of my half marathons was done on a cold, rainy, 40-degree day.  After finishing that, I didn’t want to down anything cold.  I was already freezing!

Know what the race served afterwards? Soup. And it was the best thing ever.  Warm, salty broth is easy to get down after a chilly workout and is full of fluid and electrolytes to help rehydrate you.

2. Contains some protein

Bone broth is made by simmering animal bones (often beef or chicken) for extended periods of time. By doing so, collagen is able to break down and protein is introduced into the stock.  This cooked form of collagen is called gelatin, which is why you sometimes notice homemade bone broth tends to be a bit thicker than regular broth you buy at the store.

The amount of protein in stock can vary depending on the bones, cook time, or whether it’s homemade or store bought.

Interestingly, most research has found that homemade bone broths are higher in a variety of amino acids compared to commercially purchased bone broth, possibly due to more collagen breaking down over lengthier cooking times. (But this isn’t always the case; one study clocked their homemade bone broth at just 0.6 grams of protein per cup.)

Most homemade or commercial varieties will have around 5-10 grams of protein per cup.  Not bad for a cozy little snack or start to your meal.

However, keep in mind that collagen/gelatin is an incomplete protein, meaning it falls short on a key amino acid. You wouldn’t want to prioritize bone broth as a main source of protein at the expense of other more high-quality options (like dairy, for example), but it can certainly be a part of a balanced diet.

[If you want to try making bone broth at home, you can try out this slow cooker beef bone broth recipe.]

3. May support weight management

Eating soup regularly – including bone broth – may help support weight management. For example, a 2014 study found that soup consumers tend to have a lower body weight and lower waist circumference compared to those who don’t eat soup. 

Similarly, a 2007 study found that eating soup before a meal helped reduce the total calorie intake of the meal by about 20%, compared to when no soup was eaten.

Because bone broth contains both satiating protein and a high fluid volume, it can help fill you up for fewer calories.

Plus, these days, we’re all in such a rush – eating food on-the-go, running out the door to get to our next commitment.  The beauty of bone broth (or any soup for that matter) is that it helps you to slow down.  You can’t really chug down soup, so you’re “forced” to sip and savor.

4. Could support bone health?

There is literally only one study that I could find on this topic, but it’s an interesting one. Researchers in a 2024 study took chicken-vegetable bone broth and identified the hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate in the broth (components your body also uses in cartilage and joints). The researchers found in cell studies that this helped slow down the action of osteoclasts (cells that break down bone). They also found that broth led to increased bone mineral density and bone volume in rats that had their ovaries removed (to simulate the effects of estrogen deficiency on bone), compared to a control group of rats that didn’t receive broth.

Of course, humans are not rats, so we don’t know if this is true yet. But interesting to note.

5. Could promote less inflammation?

The amino acids and other nutrients in bone broth might help quell inflammation, but there is very limited research and only in animals (at the time of publish).

A 2021 study looked at mice that had been triggered to develop ulcerative colitis. Giving bone broth to the mice led to less damage in their intestinal tissues and lower levels of certain inflammatory compounds.

A 2020 study looked at rats with prolonged jaw opening (simulating TMD) and found that an “enhanced bone broth” led to reduced expression of an inflammatory protein compound compared to “homemade broth”. In this case, the enhanced broth was pressure cooked for at least 8 hours with a higher concentration of bones, while the homemade broth was cooked on a stovetop for 2 hours with a lower concentration. The authors postulated that the benefits could have been related in part to higher antioxidants in the enhanced broth.

6. Could support better sleep?

Collagen/gelatin is rich in an amino acid called glycine.  Though it’s a non-essential amino acid, several studies have shown some benefits to ingestion of glycine as it relates to sleep.

For example, a 2012 study found that supplemental glycine helped reduce the fatigue associated with occasional sleep restriction. Similarly, a 2014 study supported sleep promoting effects though in rats. A 2024 systematic review noted some studies have shown glycine led to improvements in sleep in healthy populations, but that the data has small samples and high risk of bias.

Once again, all the studies available on this topic exclusively have used supplemental glycine – typically around 3 grams in humans.

It’s hard to know exactly how much glycine is in bone broth, due to differences in what’s added (i.e. vegetables, acids), whether the bones are roasted, how long they simmer for, etc. Research does show that homemade broths are often higher in glycine than commercial store-bought broths. However, certain preparations can be low, like in this study which found that their homemade broth had 35 milligrams of glycine per cup. Other research suggests preparations deliver around 1 to 2 grams per cup.

Clearly, these are all less than the supplemental doses in research, so it’s unclear if bone broth would help sleep.

(Though on a chilly night, a warm cup of bone broth definitely helps me to relax – so perhaps there is some benefit to that as a placebo effect regardless of glycine content.)

7. Could support joint health and tissue health?

Again, this has not been researched in bone broth itself, but several studies have looked at collagen/gelatin supplementation and found potential benefits.

A systematic review on collagen supplementation found that it was linked to less joint pain and improved joint function, including during exercise. The included studies saw benefits at supplementation levels as low as 5 to 10 grams per day.

A review article on nutrition strategies for athletes suggested that collagen/gelatin around the range of 10-15 grams (along with Vitamin C) may benefit connective tissue in athletes.

Similarly, a 2018 IOC Consensus Statement included the following information about gelatin/collagen:

“Gelatin and collagen supplements appear to be low risk. Few data available, but increased collagen production and decreased pain seem possible. Functional benefits, recovery from injury, and effects in elite athletes are not known.”

The bottom line: Yes, collagen or gelatin supplementation may have some benefits for musculoskeletal health (like joint health and tissue repair). But the amount of collagen/gelatin in bone broth may not be high enough to reach clinically significant doses assuming a standard serving size.

For example, one Consumer Labs test found that popular commercial brands provided around 1 to 6 grams per cup – so most brands may not reach the 5-15 grams minimum that elicited benefits in supplementation research.

Of course, without research on the food itself, we can’t say for certain whether there is or isn’t a benefit.

Of course, experimentation with bone broth carries little risk. If you want to try to see if this impacts your joint pain and functionality, you could try a cup or two of bone broth about an hour before your workouts. The benefits may not be acute, but may rely on chronic intake over several months to see results (if we follow the supplementation research).

What about providing minerals?

You’ll frequently see people mention that bone broth is a great source of minerals, like calcium.  While bone broth can contribute some minerals to the diet, it’s typically not in large amounts. 

Research on bone broth minerals shows levels of calcium are usually less than 5% of your recommended daily intake.  Adding apple cider vinegar – an acid – does help increase the amount of minerals (like calcium) that are extracted from the bone into the broth, though it still may not be clinically significant.

One interesting thing to note – you can increase levels of iron if meaty pieces are included in the recipe.  Adding a few bones that have some meat on them (like oxtail or beef shank) can also increase the zinc content of the broth too.

The Bottom Line

Bone broth is a nutritious option that provides fluids, electrolytes, and a little protein. There may be some additional benefits for inflammation, sleep, bone health, and joint health, but the research isn’t clear. So while the benefits on social media may be overblown, there is still solid evidence that bone broth can be a good part of your nutrition routine. TLDR: Keep sipping on it, but keep your expectations realistic!