Coenzyme Q10 for Muscle Pain
DISCLAIMER: This article has been written for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant compound produced naturally in the body and cells use them for maintenance and growth. People have been using these supplements to boost energy levels, reduce cardiac disease risks and treat myalgias. Coenzyme Q10 supplements are found in capsules, chewable tablets, wafers, IV fluids, and syrups.
What is coenzyme Q10?
Coenzyme Q10 is a naturally occurring chemical substance present in all cells of the body. The powerful antioxidant properties of Q10 can neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals. Our body can synthesize its own coenzyme Q10, but it can also be obtained from foods. Various foods like eggs, oily fish, organ meat, whole grains, and nuts contain high quantities of these chemical substances.
As the person ages, coQ10 production decreases, and increased oxidative stress causes the cell to age faster and increases the likelihood of disease. Lower coQ10 levels result from biological factors like aging, mitochondrial disorders, genetic mutations, and cholesterol-lowering medications. Its deficiency can lead to some health conditions like heart diseases, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Does Coenzyme Q10 Help In Muscle Pain?
Muscle pain or myalgia is a common condition every one of us experiences at some point in life. All our body parts contain muscle tissues and muscle aches can be anywhere in the body. Muscle pains most commonly result from overuse or injury but there are various other causes for muscle pain. Too much tension, physical activity, muscle tension, and skipping the warm-up and cool-down also lead to muscle pain.
Studies showed that coQ10 supplements help prevent harmful effects of free radicals and treat muscle pain.
How Does It Work?
Coenzyme Q10 is found in two forms in the body ubiquinone and ubiquinol. For the body to consume this coenzyme, it needs to be converted from inactive to active form like ubiquinone to ubiquinol.
Mitochondria is a powerhouse of energy for the body as all the cells use ATP as a primary source of energy. Coenzyme Q10 is used by mitochondria for the synthesis of Adenosine triphosphate. Mitochondria also produce some free radicals during ATP synthesis which help regulate the communication between the cells and protect the body from microbes.
Increased free radicals cause oxidative damage leading to inflammation, tissue damage, and DNA mutation. Coenzyme Q10 is a potent antioxidant that scavenges free radicals, reduces oxidative stress, and prevents cellular damage.
What does Research say?
Research showed that coenzyme coQ10 has beneficial effects on reducing muscle pain. A study was conducted to examine the effects of coenzyme Q10 on muscle pain. In this study, 60 individuals with muscle pain were instructed to use 100mg of coQ10 supplements or a placebo for 12 weeks.
Results showed that individuals who consumed coQ10 supplements experienced a remarkable reduction in muscle pain compared to a group of individuals who took a placebo.
Another meta-analysis of 3 clinical studies with 302 individuals suffering from statin-related muscle pain revealed conflicting results.
Statin is a drug commonly prescribed to treat cardiovascular diseases and may cause coQ10 deficiency. CoQ10 deficiency leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and muscle pain.
In another study people with statin-induced myalgia were given coQ10 100mg daily for 30 days. Results concluded that these supplements reduce the pain severity by 40% and 38% decrease muscle pain resulting from physical activities.
Other Benefits
May Promote Heart Health
Coenzyme Q10 supplements have beneficial effects in lowering cholesterol levels and increasing heart health. A review study concluded that individuals with heart failure experienced a significant improvement in disease symptoms with coQ10 supplements.
Another study revealed that supplementing with coQ10 help increase the health of blood vessels and some studies suggest that they can reduce blood pressure.
However, some studies show conflicting results and need more research on how these supplements work for heart health.
Help Manage Diabetes
More human studies are needed to evaluate the effects of coQ10 on diabetes. However, some studies suggest that it may lower blood sugar levels, and blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease in diabetes patients.
May Relieve Headache and Migraine
Studies suggest that coenzyme Q10 help reduce the severity of headache and pain associated with migraine.
Improve Physical Performance
Coenzyme Q10 plays an essential role in mitochondrial functions and helps produce energy that the body uses for carrying out various functions. Studies showed that these supplements help stimulate energy production and improve physical performance.
Prevent Aging
Skin is the largest organ widely exposed to toxins that lead to aging. These harmful toxins reduce skin moisture, increase oxidative stress, and thin the skin layers. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation protects the skin from oxidative damage and reduces the appearance of wrinkles.
Dosage of CoQ10
The dosage of CoQ10 varies according to the person's age, health state, and condition of the patient after getting treatment. A dose of 60-500 mg is safest and is used in most studies.
However, some clinical studies are performed with high quantities of coQ10 ranging from 1200 mg to 3000mg for a shorter time period.
The dose of coQ10 also depends on the form of this enzyme for example ubiquinol and ubiquinone. Ubiquinol is the active form of this co-enzyme and has a significant effect on increasing coQ10 levels in the blood.
Possible Risks and Safety Measures
Coenzyme Q10 is considered safe when used in the recommended dosage, however, it may be associated with some side effects like digestive problems.
It may reduce blood sugar levels and patient taking antidiabetic medicine should closely monitor blood sugar levels while taking these supplements.
Coenzyme Q10 may interact with some medicine like antidepressants, chemotherapeutics, and beta-blocker. Patients using these medications should consult their physicians before taking these supplements as a treatment for some illnesses.
Bottom Line
Coenzyme Q10 is a chemical substance produced in the body and help in mitochondrial functions and protect the body from free radicals. It helps boost energy levels, promote heart health, and treat muscle pain resulting from various causes. CoQ10 may cause some side effects and can interact with some medications. These supplements are healthy choice to add to your daily routine if you are in a good health condition.
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References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6814351/
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(14)00799-X/fulltext
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4705639/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17493470/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5807419/
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2018/FO/C8FO00971F#!divAbstract
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27012265/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22088605/