Collagen is very abundant in the skin and the hyaline cartilage. Collagen supplements contribute to the replacement of degraded collagen resulting from inflammatory arthritis and help maintain adequate support for the structure of the skin. Synthesis of collagen in the skin tends to decrease with age and collagen might preserve elasticity of the skin. Lysine assists with the formation of endogenous collagen formation, an important building block of cartilages. Vitamin C is known to help maintain cartilage and also assist in connective tissue formation. Since connective tissues surround joints, vitamin C helps lysine form collagen. Collagen hydrolysate has been shown to stimulate chondrocyte metabolism, thus helping with cartilage formation and maintenance. It also improves joint mobility and reduces joint pain at high dosages (10 g daily), and therefore seems to play a complementary role to vitamin C and lysine in cartilage maintenance.