Coenzyme Q10 is a vital substance that every cell in your body requires, mainly for energy production. The substance is also called ubiquinone and is sometimes promoted for improving physical ability or sports performance. Before you begin taking coenzyme Q10 supplements to enhance your exercise performance, consult your doctor to discuss the correct dosage and potential health risks.
Function
Coenzyme Q10 is found only in trace amounts in foods, particularly meats and fish, but all the cells in your body also make it, according to the University of Michigan Health System. The substance is vital to making adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the energy source for your body. Specifically, coenzyme Q10 influences the mitochondria in your body's cells, which are responsible for converting fatty acids and glucose into energy, explains the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Coenzyme Q10 appears to also provide antioxidant, cardioprotective and neuroprotective actions in your body, notes the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Effects
Coenzyme Q10 supplements might help improve your exercise performance by enhancing your physical strength and stamina, says the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The supplement could also help reduce your fatigue after physical activities. Although coenzyme Q10 is sometimes marketed as a sports-performance enhancer, little medical research has proven that it actually improves physical prowess in any way, warns the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Other Uses
In addition to improving exercise performance, coenzyme Q10 supplements are also sometimes recommended for people with certain medical conditions like congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy and high blood pressure, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Coenzyme Q10 could correct a deficiency due to taking certain medications that reduce your level of the substance and may help with heart-attack recovery. Also, you might take extra coenzyme Q10 if you have angina, macular degeneration, gingivitis or cerebellar ataxia, notes the University of Michigan Health System. No conclusive medical research supports the use of coenzyme Q10 supplements to treat or prevent any health condition, however.
Potential
Taking coenzyme Q10 supplements could have the potential to help in the treatment of kidney failure, migraines, Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, asthma, tinnitus and diabetes, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Coenzyme Q10 could possibly help treat Alzheimer's disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, HIV/AIDS, insulin resistance syndrome and muscular dystrophy, says the University of Michigan Health System. Coenzyme Q10 could have health benefits for men with infertility and people with lung, breast or prostate cancer as well. Specifically, coenzyme Q10 is thought to potentially help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, notes the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Keep in mind that no widely accepted scientific evidence proves that the supplement can provide any of these health benefits.
Warning
If you have severe cardiovascular disease or diabetes, take coenzyme Q10 only under the close supervision of a doctor, cautions the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Because coenzyme Q10 is similar in structure to vitamin K, it could potentially increase the effects of blood-thinning medications like Coumadin, warns the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Coenzyme Q10's antioxidant effects could theoretically reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy agents as well. Also, if you're taking reverse-transcriptase inhibitors for HIV/AIDS, coenzyme Q10 supplementation may worsen your symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.
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