As I have mentioned before, I love to walk. I can walk for hours! Put me in a gym however and I tire quickly. Personally I think this has more to do with boredom than my fitness! A recent study seems to suggest that taking coenzyme Q10 supplements may increase the amount of time an individual can exercise before they become fatigued.
Coenzyme Q10 is a type of fat-soluble coenzyme (the Q stands for Quinone), the most important Q coenzyme for humans. A coenzyme is a compound that is necessary for the functioning of enzymes, protein substances produced in the body that act to accelerate biochemical reactions -enzymes are vital for all cellular processes in the body.
Coenzyme Q10 is naturally produced by the body and was first isolated in 1957, it is essential for energy production in all bodily cells and is especially abundant in the heart – heart cells use a lot of energy in order to beat over 100,000 times a day! Around the world it has become one of the most popular dietary supplements, with individuals reporting many health benefits such as increased energy and memory improvement. Many trials (too many to reference here) have investigated this supplement and it seems to be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of many conditions from heart disease to blood pressure, cancer, circulatory conditions, gum disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, immune related disorders and age related conditions.
As I mentioned at the start of this post the most recent research(1) on supplemental coenzyme Q10, also called CoQ10, suggests that it may enhance athletic performance and increase the time you can exercise before tiredness sets in. The scientists involved in this study wanted to determine whether supplementation of CoQ10 could improve exercise performance in both trained and untrained individuals. The study was small and involved 22 trained and 19 untrained individuals (male and female). They received either a 100mg placebo or a CoQ10 supplement twice a day for 14 days. Blood samples and muscle biopsies were taken. On the first day the subjects were given a single dose of 200mg of the placebo or CoQ10. One hour after being given the supplement the individuals were given a variety of endurance tests. Additional blood samples and a second muscle biopsy were taken after completion of the tests. After this first day the subjects were given 100mg of placebo or CoQ10 twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, for 14 days. They then returned to the lab for more tests.
The levels of Coenzyme Q10 in the blood plasma were significantly increased following 2 weeks of the supplementation (compared to placebo group). Following the one high dose of CoQ10 on day one muscle levels of CoQ10 were significantly higher and this was related to increased time to exhaustion on the treadmill (individuals could run for longer before tiring). After two weeks of supplementation there was also a trend towards increased time to exhaustion. Tests also revealed that the CoQ10 seemed to be acting as an antioxidant (individuals taking the CoQ10 had lower levels of oxidative stress).
The results make sense since Coenzyme Q10 is involved in the conversion of carbohydrates into energy. This may explain why people who regularly take the supplement report an increase in their feelings of energy. A previous small study(2) found that coenzyme Q10 supplementation at 150mg twice a day for two months increased blood levels of the nutrient and significantly increased the subjective perceived level of vigour in middle-aged men when compared to placebo. A small study in cross country skiers(3) demonstrated the ability of coenzyme Q10 (90 mg per day) to increase all measures of physical performance. In the study, 94% of skiers receiving coenzyme Q considered that their treatment has been beneficial in improving their performance. In endurance runners(4) levels of CoQ10 were found to be lower than normal at rest (probably due to the increased need for energy production in such athletes) and further depleted after exercise training. Supplemental CoQ10 improved the blood plasma levels in the runners and also seemed to help prevent the muscle damage that often occurs as a result of intensive exercise or endurance exercise(4).
If you are a regular gym-goer or generally training to improve fitness levels you may wish to try a coenzymeQ10 supplement to see if it benefits your training schedule. 50mg-100mg of the supplement twice per day is usually recommended. As CoQ10 is fat soluble look for supplements that contain an oil base as these are more efficiently absorbed.
Coenzyme Q10 is found in many foods but is particularly concentrated in nuts and oils. The body does produce this nutrient naturally and does not rely on external sources. In order to produce CoQ10 we require various essential cofactors. These include a variety of vitamins especially of the B group (Folic Acid, Vitamin B2, The Niacinamide form of Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5,Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12) and Vitamin C . Hence a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, wholegrain cereals and lean proteins will aid the natural production of this coenzyme and keep our circulating levels high.
Just in case you are wondering, the research has not tempted me into the gym, I am more than happy with my walking (and the occasional hula-hooping)!
(1)Cooke M et al. 2008. Effects of acute and 14-day coenzyme Q10 supplementation on exercise performance in both trained and untrained individuals. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 4;5:8.
(2)Porter DA et al. 1995. The effect of oral coenzyme Q10 on the exercise tolerance of middle-aged, untrained men. Int J Sports Med. 16(7):421-427.
(3)Yikoski T et al. 1997. The effect of coenzyme Q10 on exercise performance of cross-country skiers. Molecular Aspects of Medicine (United Kingdom). 18(Supplement):S283-S290.
(4) Bargossi, A M et al. 1993. Antioxidant effects of exogenous ubiquinone (Q10) in high level endurance runners. Free Radicals and Antioxidants in Nutrition. 1993:63-74.
Written by Ani Kowal
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