Coq10 for Bodybuilding and Improved Overall Health

CoQ10, or Ubiquinol, is a very popular supplement for general health and for people suffering from certain conditions. Although CoQ10 for bodybuilding is not as common, it has benefits that should not be overlooked!

What is CoQ10?

Also known as coenzyme Q10, coq10 is a commonly used supplement that is actually referred to as a “vitamin-like” substance found in virtually every cell in the human body! It is necessary for many vital functions and to ensure the proper operation of vital organs, including the kidneys, heart, liver, and pancreas.

It is also required for many chemical reactions that occur in the body’s cells. In addition, coq10 is an antioxidant.

What makes Coq10 a beneficial supplement for bodybuilding?

In addition to the benefits listed above, Coq10 is also responsible for providing energy to cells, which is one of the reasons it is considered a bodybuilding supplement. A study published in 2008 has shown that supplementation over a period as short as 14 days can increase time to exhaustion in various exercises.

One benefit derived from this extended time to exhaustion is that you may be able to trigger more muscle growth by extending the time under tension. The ability to perform even one additional rep before reaching true muscular failure will most definitely add to the intensity of the exercise, which translates to more muscle mass.

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Are there other studies that show Coq10 is a good bodybuilding supplement?

A study of Olympic athletes training for the 2012 Olympics found that CoQ10 supplementation increased muscle power compared to placebo.

The study involved 100 German athletes, male and female. Researchers administered 300mg or a placebo for six weeks and measured power output on a stationary bicycle during intense tests. The cycling intensity makes this exercise less of an aerobic workout and more like a leg-weight workout.

The results were published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2013. The study found that the test athletes who were given 300mg of Coq10 increased their muscular power output by 11% on average over the study period of 6 weeks. The athletes who were taking the placebo showed an increase of 8% on average.

This may not seem like a lot, but remember that these are Olympic athletes who are already at a high level of physical fitness, and even a small percentage increase is significant.

Other studies have conflicting results regarding the effectiveness of Coq10 in increasing muscle mass and strength. This is true of many bodybuilding supplements.

In my 30+ years of bodybuilding, weight training, and supplementation, I have found that each individual must experiment with supplements and see if they provide the desired outcomes. Many athletes I know swear by certain supplements and, at the same time, refer to others as a total waste of money. Unfortunately, some supplements will work for a given bodybuilder, and some will not.

Protein and creatine are some of the most proven supplements that increase muscle mass when combined with an aggressive workout plan.

What are the health conditions that Coq10 can benefit?

The conditions for which Coq10 is popular include:

• High blood pressure.
• Certain diseases of the muscles.
• Parkinson’s disease.
• Gum disease.
• Heart failure.
• HIV infection.

People with these health issues may have lower levels of coenzyme Q10.

Coq10 is synthesized in the body, but levels start to drop as early as age 20. Intense exercise also temporarily lowers levels. Supplementing with Coq10 is a good idea to help keep enough in the bloodstream, especially for bodybuilders and other athletes who train hard and often.

Additionally, CoQ10’s antioxidant properties help prevent excessive oxidative damage to muscle tissue. While muscles must undergo a certain amount of damage to adapt and grow, too much can slow recovery, leading to overtraining and a lack of gains. CoQ10 helps prevent this.

The recommended bodybuilding dose of CoQ10 is 300mg per day with food. It is better absorbed by the body when taken with food.

Overall, Coq10 has general health benefits for almost everyone, and Using It for bodybuilding is also a great idea.