for those who love the outdoors
18 April, 2024
The team from Revive Active tell us all about CoQ10, something you may never have heard of, and how it could benefit your running fitness.
Co-Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a vitamin-like substance produced naturally in the body, within all cells (except red blood cells), and particularly those with high energy requirements, and turnover, such as the heart, brain, liver, kidney and muscles.
These crucial organs consume energy at a much higher rate within the body, than say skin as an example. To produce energy we have tiny micro-organs, ‘organelles’ within our cells called mitochondria, often referred to as the ‘powerhouse’ of the cell.
The more energy an organ needs, the more mitochondria it contains, for instance, skin cells contain a few hundred in each whilst heart cells contain between 5000 to 8000 mitochondria – mind blowing!!!
When we can’t keep up with the mitochondrial need of CoQ10 (supply vs demand) the mitochondria can become damaged, die off, or cannot function well. This can lead to a decrease in available energy, manifesting in varying ways such as muscle fatigue, a feeling of ‘heavy legs, foggy thinking, loss of focus, slower recall and response time, even premature skin ageing.
During exercise, we could simply notice that we are ‘running out of steam’ or not being able to perform to our optimum potential and capabilities.
CoQ10 is best known in two forms as Ubiquinol or Ubiqinone, of which it can easily switch between the two within the body to perform cross-function as the mitochondria need.
CoQ10 is critical for cellular energy, supporting brain health, muscle function, vascular and respiration capability.
It benefits include:
CoQ10 helps convert food we consumer into energy we can use. Good food sources include organ meats, fatty fish, seafood, venison, beef and poultry, pistachios, peanuts, sesame seeds and cruciferous vegetables.
As CoQ10 is critical for producing cellular energy, we have an increased need to be able to tap into that source quickly, placing a higher demand on our heart during running to be able pump bloods to our muscles, delivering essential nutrients to keep them firing.
Energy is also required to repair muscle tissue post exercise, therefore can support a faster recovery and help reduce muscle soreness.
Consuming CoQ10 rich foods as a regular part of your diet can provide a consistent intake of this essential nutrient to bolster your body’s own production.
It can be a challenge thought to extract enough CoQ10 from foods to keep up with the demands of the body, particularly in intense exercise, as we age, and/or if we have insufficient digestion, i.e. a lack of digestive enzymes or low stomach acid.
In these cases it might be a consideration to supplement for a therapeutic dosage to be able to meet the fuel demands of your body.
CoQ10 is also best taken with complementary co-factors (nutrients that help facilitate the usage of another substance and maximise its efficacy), such as a B-complex which is also crucial in supporting the production of ATP (our body’s energy currency produced in the mitochondria).
When taken on its own as a singular supplement, because CoQ10 is a fat-soluble compound, its best taken with a meal for maximum absorption.
To replete and bolster your CoQ10 levels, particularly with a higher energy turnover rate, you may need to allow a period between 4 to 12 weeks to feel full benefits, this will be dependant on your age, energy expenditure, how much you train, how regular you run, the distance and speed you track at, any underlying conditions or comorbidities, or any medications you may be taking.
As with any supplement, check with your GP if you are on prescribed medication before proceeding to take.
https://reviveactive.com/collections/supplements/products/coq10
£28.95 for 30 capsules
https://reviveactive.com/products/revive-active-tropical-flavour
£49.95 for 30 sachets / 1 month’s supply
Available in Tropical and Orange & Mango
Outside & Active is the home for those who love the outdoors. Our mission is to inspire, inform and educate people about being active outdoors in a fun, safe and sustainable way. We provide inspiration, kit, tech and advice on adventure, camping, climbing, cycling, hiking, running water and winter.
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