Metabolic Health and Lifestyle
Here’s Why I Take 100 Mg CoQ10 [Ubiquinol] Daily.
After 55 years of age, I started taking it based on a recommendation from a cardiologist and my hypothesis that it might improve mitochondrial health.
Why is CoQ10 a critical molecule?
It is a natural and critical component of our cells. Without CoQ10, we cannot survive. In other words, it is essential for energy, such as moving, breathing, digesting food, and all bodily activities requiring energy.
CoQ10 is an essential nutrient residing in every cell in our bodies. However, it is more concentrated in the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys. Its role is to transport electrons in cells.
The purpose of this molecule is to produce energy for cell maintenance and growth. In addition, CoQ10 is a potent antioxidant reducing oxidative stress in the cells. It can also regenerate another antioxidant, vitamin E.
In a nutshell, CoQ10, a.k.a “ubiquinone,” and its activated form, “ubiquinol,” is a fat-soluble nutrient. According to this source on PubMed,
“CoQ10 was first identified in 1940 and isolated from the mitochondria of the beef heart in 1957.” Since then, the research on this molecule has skyrocketed. The last time when I checked, there were more than 16,000 scientific papers and reports in English indexed on PubMed.
Like many other molecules, as we get older, our bodies produce less CoQ10. Overall literature indicates that its production might start declining at 30 and might be noticeable after 50 years of age.
Some papers mention that it is more noticeable after the age of 80. Interestingly, according to Boston Heart Diagnostics, almost everyone over 30 should use it.
In addition, inherited CoQ10 deficiency is real but rare. It is caused by mutations in COQ genes that provide instructions for making proteins involved in the production of the molecule.
For example, according to MedLine, “The prevalence of primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency is thought to be less than 1 in 100,000 people.”
Interestingly, a 1996 study testing 433 pregnant women found a significant increase in their plasma CoQ10 level toward the end of pregnancy. This study attracted my attention as pregnant women need more energy to support their growing babies.
Since then, CoQ10 blood tests have become available to the public. Even though insurance companies might not cover it in some countries, having CoQ10 levels checked via private blood tests is possible. Test centers use liquid chromatography to check plasma CoQ10 concentrations. Some online companies provide at-home testing with home chemistry kits for around $150.
In my circles, I heard that tests for people suffering from diseases like diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancers have free tests in hospitals. Some close friends suffering from these conditions mentioned that their CoQ10 level was very low.
In some health and fitness communities, I met people using CoQ10 to reduce migraines, increase sperm counts, and slow down Alzheimer’s disease. Their holistic healthcare professionals prescribed them based on information from preliminary studies.
Later, I discovered that some antiaging clinics use CoQ10 for longevity purposes. When I checked the literature, the longevity effects were mentioned in several papers.
For example, this paper on MDPI mentions that “CoQ levels decline in some tissues in humans and rodents during aging and CoQ10 supplementation has shown benefits as an antiaging agent, especially under certain conditions associated with increased oxidative stress.”
My findings from those suffering from CoQ10 deficiency and studies on longevity encouraged me to investigate this topic further.
So, I’d like to share a summary of my experiments for information only. I never recommend my experiments or supplements to others but share them for information purposes, as I learn a lot from other experimenters.
Why and How I Started Supplementing CoQ10
Gratefully, I have no medical conditions, even though I used to have numerous health issues in my younger years.
Any supplement I use nowadays is only for preventative purposes to improve my health and life span. I only use well-researched and safe supplements after thorough review and discussion with qualified healthcare professionals and trusted scientists in my circles.
Ubiquinol, the active form of CoQ10, is one of my favorite supplements because I understand how it works. One of my health focuses has been to improve my mitochondrial health for many years. Until the age of 55, I tried numerous proven techniques to enhance the density of my mitochondria.
I shared my findings and experience in an article titled 12 Tips to Get Denser Mitochondria for Joyful Energy. The denser our mitochondria, the more energy we get. Having an abundance of energy makes life joyful and sublime.
I have been reviewing CoQ10 for several years in medical and nutrition literature. Numerous studies inspired me to investigate its suitability for health and fitness goals.
One day I had a friendly chat with my family doctor, asking her whether I should start using Ubiquinol. Her answer with a smile was a question asking me whether I wanted to waste my money. I said I had no intention. She was not convinced about the benefits yet.
However, when I asked her whether it would clash with anything in my medical history, she said, “not that I know of.” That was a good start for my investigation.
I put it on the backburner, not rushing to start until I go to a health and fitness conference. Interestingly, a cardiologist presented a paper mentioning the benefits of Ubiquinol and case studies from her patients suffering from congestive heart failure. It was an outstanding presentation.
During the break, I introduced myself and complimented her presentation. Then, we decided to have a coffee together.
I shared some of my health experiments which she found interesting. She agreed with most of them. Her favorite of my experiments was time-restricted eating, which she also used for her patients.
Then I asked her the most effective and safe supplement she might recommend to me. With no pause, she said CoQ10. The message was clear to me.
The next time I visited my family doctor, I mentioned this conversation with the cardiologist. My points intrigued the physician. She wanted to learn more about the reasons. I provided a copy of my annotated literature review. She promised to read it. Interestingly, she did not know any of those studies. Her thoughts changed.
To understand my oxidative stress, I wanted to know about my plasma CoQ10 concentrations and the ratio of Ubiquinol to ubiquinone.
Unfortunately, my physician couldn’t order the tests as medicare did not cover them without a valid health condition. So, I decided to use a commercial service with her private referral. My result was close to optimal as my diet was rich in CoQ10.
I was indecisive about starting it as I needed more compelling information. After writing an email to the cardiologist, I understood that blood levels might be high as they indicated the concentration.
However, we still might have a deficiency in immune cells or muscles. This gave me a valuable clue. I wanted to create a test case for my muscle profiles.
Understanding the supplement has no noticeable side effects except for heartburn or nausea for a few of his patients, I decided to try it.
As recommended by the cardiologist, I started with the safest and optimal amount of 100 mg for beginners for preventive maintenance. I purchased it from a reliable source approved by TGA.
During the first month, I did not notice much difference. However, my recovery window after resistance and HIIT training started shrinking a month later. I kept a record for several months. After a year, the pattern became more apparent. It improved my recovery by around 20%.
More importantly, my annual DEXA scan showed a 3% improvement in my muscle quality and a 1% reduction in my fat stores.
With the help of my friend, Adrian, who is an experienced sports coach, we interpreted the results as CoQ10 appears to increase energy in mitochondria speeding up muscle recovery.
We did not believe it had an impact on fat loss. However, knowing its effects on energy metabolism, my cells had more energy.
Therefore, my subjective notes in my journal indicated that my energy level noticeably increased within a year.
During this conversation, Adrian shared a 2010 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research concluding that “CoQ10 may show performance-enhancing effects during the repeated bouts of supramaximal exercises and CoQ10 might be used as an ergogenic aid.”
Later, I found several more studies commenting on the performance-enhancing effects of CoQ10 supplementation.
During this experimentation, I did not use other supplements to ensure my results were accurate. With this inspiration, I decided to use it another year which replicated the effect.
And the third year, I received the same results. I understood that CoQ10 contributed to making my mitochondria denser. Another proof was my tolerance to cold exposure slightly increased. So my cold showers became more comfortable in the mornings.
Even though some people use it up to 1200 mg a day, I prefer to keep a low dose of 100 mg for safety.
After using several years, I did not see any side effects, no heartburn or nausea for me. But I heard that those who used over a gram a day feel the heartburn.
Interestingly, after three years, when I shared my experiment with my family doctor, she decided to start using CoQ10. When I asked about her progress after my six-monthly check-up, she also confirmed that her energy levels increased and recovery times shortened.
She further investigated CoQ10 for potential therapeutic benefits for some of her clients suffering from diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and breast cancer patients who have relatively lower CoQ10 levels.
In addition, she mentioned that her patients on statins lowering cholesterol or beta-blockers reducing heart rate have significantly lower CoQ10, so she helped them to supplement safely.
Conclusions and Takeaways
We know that CoQ10 is an essential nutrient residing in every cell in the body. This molecule transports electrons in cells to produce energy. It is critical for cell maintenance and growth.
In addition to its energy-producing capability, CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant reducing oxidative stress in the cells.
As we get older, the body produces less CoQ10. Therefore, supplementation might be necessary for some of us.
More importantly, people suffering from metabolic diseases such as type II diabetes, heart diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancers appear to have much lower levels of CoQ10.
With medical supervision, these patients use CoQ10 as supplementary medication.
People usually ask me whether they should use specific supplements. Even though I use some supplements and have no side effects, I still don’t recommend them to anyone, including my close friends or family members.
I always encourage people to check with their medical professionals before starting any supplements.
We are all unique and might show different reactions to different supplements. For example, even though CoQ10 is safe for me as I have no medical conditions, I found out that it had some side effects on some friends who used blood pressure-reducing and blood-thinning medications.
My experimentation with CoQ10 taught me that it is an excellent supplement that contributed to my recovery and increased my energy after a year.
When I gave a break for three months, I noticed the delays in my recovery. Therefore, I decided to continue it.
In addition, a diabetic friend who was very concerned about his cholesterol started using CoQ10. After a year, he noticed a significant drop in his LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. I shared my perspectives on cholesterol in a recent article titled Cholesterol Paradox and How It Impacted My Health Positively.
As mentioned in my experience section, cardiologists use it as a supplement for managing their patients with cardiovascular diseases. I also met people who use it to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
In nutrition forums, those who consume animal products, especially organ meats like liver and heart, are believed to get more than other foods.
However, CoQ10 can also be found in fatty fish, legumes, nuts, seeds, wholegrain, soybean, canola oil, and some vegetables.
So to conclude, I want to answer the frequently asked question about supplements: “If our bodies make it and if they are in food, why do we need to supplement?”
This is a good question. In my opinion, not everyone needs it unless they have special goals, deficiencies, or genetic disorders preventing their body from producing it effectively.
Different people use CoQ10 for various health improvement and fitness reasons. Medical professionals use it to address deficiencies in their patients.
In my case, mitochondrial health topped the list. As I do high-intensity and resistance training in a fasted state (empty stomach during time-restricted eating), I thought my cells needed more CoQ10.
Based on my three years of experimentation, I proved that it improved my recovery and increased my energy level. In addition, it slightly improved my muscle quality and reduced visceral fat.
However, these benefits were most likely due to improved recovery that allowed me to do more resistance and high-intensity training.
Like any supplement, we need to be careful before starting it. As CoQ10 might interact with some medications and might have side effects for some people, it is always wise to discuss it with qualified healthcare professionals before starting it.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
Besides aiming to increase the hormonal intelligence of my readers and writing about neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, and norepinephrine, one of my goals as a writer is to raise awareness about the causes and risk factors of prevalent diseases that can lead to suffering and death for a large portion of the population.
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Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
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I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and other nutrients.
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