Give yourself an energy boost
Coenzyme Q10, found in all of your cells, is a vital component of your body's ability to produce energy—especially in the heart. It's also a strong antioxidant and plays a key role in maintaining your levels of vitamin E and vitamin C.
And now research is showing that CoQ10 can help ease the exhaustion you feel after exercising, as well as boost your exercise ability.
Study participants were given either 100 or 300 milligrams of CoQ10 a day for one week. They were asked to ride a bike ergometer, which is an exercise bike that measures the amount of work that is being done by the user. The bikes were set on workloads that would generate fatigue.
After just one week, study results showed improved physical performance. The group that received just 100 mg of CoQ10 did not experience the same effect.
In addition, the group that received a higher dose of CoQ10 reported feeling less fatigue than those who took the lower dose. Fatigue was defined as having difficulty in starting or sustaining activity. And, the researchers differentiated between physical and mental.
The researchers note that our levels of CoQ10 begin to drop right around the tender age of 20. No wonder we remember being so energetic in our earlier years!
A side note from my own experience: My patients who have been on statins often complain of fatigue and muscle weakness. It's no wonder, because statins erode your CoQ10 levels. Getting those levels back up by supplementing generally takes about four weeks, so stick with it. A quality gel cap formulation is important, since a powdered capsule or tablet form will not be absorbed as well, if at all.
