Coenzyme Q10 (Coq10) for Exercise Performance

Research suggests that CoQ10 supplementation produces inconsistent effects on exercise performance in healthy individuals, with a 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 24 randomized trials finding that while supplementation reliably raises circulating CoQ10 levels, measurable improvements in physical performance are small, unstable, and rated as very low to low certainty evidence. Studies indicate more promising results in specific populations, including patients with chronic stable angina and chronic lung disease, where CoQ10 was associated with improved exercise tolerance, reduced heart rate during exertion, and suppressed lactate production, and some trials in competitive athletes using CoQ10 in combination with royal jelly reported faster sprint times and reduced markers of oxidative stress and muscle damage. A 2025 review noted that CoQ10 appears more reliably useful for reducing exercise-induced muscle damage markers and accelerating recovery than for boosting outright performance, with effects varying considerably depending on dosage, supplementation duration, exercise type, and individual response. Overall, the body of evidence — spanning randomized controlled trials, reviews, and smaller pilot studies — remains mixed, and several well-designed RCTs in trained athletes found no significant performance benefit, suggesting that baseline fitness level, health status, and study design may strongly influence whether any effect is observed.