Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) works along with certain enzymes to support the body's bioenergetic functions.

CoQ10 is a spectacular micronutrient that has been in wide use to promote cardiovascular health for almost 40 years. CoQ10 exists naturally in the body and is key to the function of mitochondria (the so-called “energy factories” of cells) and in combating harmful chemicals called free radicals, which may play a role in nerve cell death.

Since 1974, there have appeared over 250 commercial preparations of CoQ10 supplied by more than 80 pharmaceutical companies. It is reported that in Japan alone, nearly 6 million now use CoQ10 each year. Since 1957, researchers have found CoQ10 to be an essential substance in cell respiration, electron transfer and the control of oxidation reactions.

Found in the inner mitochondrial membrane, which is the “power center” of cells, CoQ10 serves as an electron transport carrier involved in the manufacture of ATP—the “molecule of energy production.” It works along with certain enzymes to support the body's bioenergetic functions. CoQ10 also protects the integrity of cellular membranes.

When researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Idaho investigated CoQ10 in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 46 men and 37 women, they found CoQ10 to be a useful option for several parameters of heart health in mature adults, including maintaining healthy blood pressure.

A comprehensive review of the medical literature from 1974 through 2000 concerning CoQ10 was published in the journal Pharmacotherapy. The research team found a favorable impact of CoQ10 on cardiac output, stroke volume, and ejection fraction.

What does all this mean to the athlete?  

• CoQ10 and vitamin E levels were found to be lower in endurance-trained athletes than in sedentary males. (1) Simply stated, endurance athletes deplete their natural supplies.
• A study in rats showed that those receiving CoQ10 had a decrease in the initial release of muscle breakdown products. (2)
• Marathon runners pretreated with CoQ10 had lower plasma levels of tissue breakdown products and enzymes compared to their controlled counterparts. (3)
• A Finnish study of 25 top cross-country skiers found that after supplementation with CoQ10, 94% of the athletes felt that performance and recovery time were improved when compared to 33% of the skiers who received placebo. Measures of physical performance with VO2Max (a measure of oxygen capacity at maximum exertion) improved significantly in those on CoQ10. Skiers on the supplement also had a threefold increase in blood levels of CoQ10. (4)

NEWS ON CoQ10

CoQ10 is manufactured by the body and is a vital nutrient. It helps cells to produce energy. But when we age, we lose much of our supply of CoQ10, particularly in the heart.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/SecondOpinion/secondopinion_114.html

Evidence that CoQ10 can beef up the body's immune defenses
http://www.prevention.com/cda/feature2002/0,2479,s1-6432,00.html

References

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Weber C, Jakobsen TS, Mortensen SA, et al. Antioxidative effect of dietary coenzyme Q10 in human blood plasma. Internat J Vit Nutr Res 1994;64:311-15.

Mortensen SA, Vadhanavikit S, Baandrup U, Folkers K. Long-term coenzyme Q10 therapy: a major advance in the management of resistant myocardial failure. Drug Exptl Clin Res 1985;11:581-93.

Morisco C, Trimarco B, Condorelli M. Effect of coenzyme Q10 in patients with congestive heart failure: a long-term multicenter randomized study. Clin Invest 1993;71:S134-6.

Kamikawa T, Kobayashi A, Yamashita T, et al. Effects of coenzyme Q10 on exercise tolerance in chronic stable angina pectoris. Am J Cardiol 1985;56:247.

Mortensen SA. Perspectives on therapy of cardiovascular diseases with coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone). Clin Invest 1993;71:s116–23 [review].

Jolliet P, et al. Plasma coenzyme Q10 concentrations in breast cancer: prognosis and therapeutic consequences. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 1998 Sep;36(9):506-9.

Matthews RT, et al. Coenzyme Q10 administration increases brain mitochondrial concentrations and exerts neuroprotective effects. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1998 Jul 21;95(15):8892-7.

Chopra RK, Goldman R, Sinatra ST, Bhagavan HN. Relative bioavailability of coenzyme Q10 formulations in human subjects. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 1998;68(2):109-13.