Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) participates in mitochondrial energy production and has antioxidant properties. That makes it a reasonable research candidate for exercise, especially in people with particular clinical needs. It does not make CoQ10 a proven “mitochondrial advantage” for every lifter.
What the biology can tell us
CoQ10 is involved in electron transport and exists in oxidised and reduced forms. Supplementation can raise circulating CoQ10. The important next question is whether that biochemical change improves a meaningful training outcome.
The answer is not consistently yes. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found that CoQ10 reliably increased blood CoQ10 but produced limited and unstable effects on exercise performance. Strength and anaerobic outcomes changed little, and the certainty of evidence was low to very low.
Biomarkers are not performance
Some reviews report changes in oxidative-stress or muscle-damage markers. Those findings can help identify biological effects, but they do not prove more power, hypertrophy, or faster recovery. Likewise, one study reporting a 4.5% peak-power change should not become a universal promise; study design, sample size, training status, and measurement reliability matter.
There is no good basis for saying that CoQ10 deficiency is common in healthy lifters over 30, that heavy training depletes it in a way that requires supplementation, or that ubiquinol is automatically superior for performance. Formulation and absorption can differ, but “more bioavailable” is not the same as “better training result.”
Who should discuss it?
CoQ10 may be relevant to a clinician-managed condition or to people taking medicines that affect CoQ10 status. For a healthy lifter seeking strength, it is a low-priority experiment behind creatine, protein, sufficient energy, sleep, and programming.
If you choose to try it, follow the product label and evaluate one outcome over several weeks. Do not infer success from a general feeling of energy, and do not change medication without a clinician. Gastrointestinal symptoms and interactions are possible.
Bottom line
CoQ10 has legitimate mitochondrial biology and can raise blood CoQ10, but current exercise evidence does not establish a reliable strength, power, or hypertrophy advantage. Treat it as optional and context-dependent rather than an essential supplement for older or high-volume lifters.
For a supplement with a stronger resistance-training evidence base, read Creatine Monohydrate. For mixed evidence on another recovery supplement, see Astaxanthin for Athletes.
Related reading
- Creatine Monohydrate: The Science Behind the Most Researched Supplement
- Astaxanthin for Athletes: What Exercise Research Shows
Applying this article
Define a measurable reason to test CoQ10, keep training and nutrition stable, and review the result against cost, side effects, and sleep—not against a marketing promise.
Limits of the evidence
CoQ10 trials use different forms, doses, durations, populations, and exercise outcomes. Biomarker changes and isolated positive studies do not establish a predictable benefit for a healthy strength athlete.
Sources
- CoQ10 and exercise performance: systematic review and meta-analysis. Performance effects were limited and inconsistent; certainty was low.
- CoQ10, muscle-damage biomarkers, and oxidative stress in athletes. Biomarker evidence; not a direct muscle-growth outcome.
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