Coenzyme Q10, better known as CoQ10, has become a popular supplement among athletes and fitness enthusiasts looking for an edge in energy, endurance and recovery. The interest makes sense: CoQ10 is naturally produced by the body and plays an important role inside mitochondria, the structures responsible for producing cellular energy. It also acts as an antioxidant, helping protect cells from oxidative stress. Because muscles have high energy demands during exercise, researchers have investigated whether increasing CoQ10 levels through supplementation can translate into better athletic performance.

But the evidence is more complicated than the supplement’s popularity might suggest. Taking CoQ10 does not automatically mean you’ll run faster, lift more weight or dramatically increase your endurance. Research has produced mixed results, with some studies suggesting improvements in power, fatigue or recovery while others find little meaningful change in measures such as aerobic capacity. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis found that CoQ10 consistently increases blood CoQ10 levels, but its effects on actual exercise performance remain small and inconsistent.

How CoQ10 Could Affect Exercise

The main reason CoQ10 is considered relevant to athletic performance is its role in energy production. During exercise, muscles require large amounts of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s primary cellular energy source. CoQ10 participates in the mitochondrial processes that help produce ATP. It also functions as an antioxidant, which is important because strenuous exercise increases the production of reactive oxygen species and other forms of oxidative stress.

In theory, having more available CoQ10 could support efficient energy production and help protect muscle cells from exercise-related oxidative damage. That biological rationale, however, does not necessarily translate into a noticeable performance boost in healthy athletes.

You May Not Become a Better Athlete Overnight

One of the most important findings from the research is that CoQ10 does not appear to be a reliable performance-enhancing supplement for everyone.

A systematic review of CoQ10 supplementation in athletes found that some studies reported improvements in anaerobic performance, muscle strength and power. At the same time, the review found no consistent improvement in aerobic performance or VO₂ max.

More recent evidence is similarly cautious. A 2025 meta-analysis examining 24 randomized trials found that chronic CoQ10 supplementation produced, at most, modest and context-dependent performance benefits. Effects were not consistently maintained after researchers accounted for statistical outliers, and the evidence was considered low to very low certainty. Acute supplementation—taking CoQ10 shortly before exercise—did not show a meaningful performance benefit.

In practical terms, this means CoQ10 is unlikely to function like a conventional pre-workout supplement that produces an obvious, immediate increase in energy or power.

Recovery May Be More Important Than Performance

Where CoQ10 may have greater potential is exercise recovery.

Hard training can temporarily increase oxidative stress and muscle-damage markers. Several studies have investigated whether CoQ10 can reduce some of these effects. A 2024 meta-analysis of 28 randomized controlled trials involving 830 participants found that CoQ10 supplementation reduced markers including creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, myoglobin and malondialdehyde. These markers are associated with muscle damage and oxidative stress, although changes in laboratory markers do not necessarily mean an athlete will feel or perform better.

A 2025 meta-analysis involving athletes also found reductions in oxidative stress and muscle-damage biomarkers following CoQ10 supplementation. The researchers concluded that CoQ10 may have potential as a supportive recovery strategy, while emphasizing that the quality of the available evidence remains low to very low.

This distinction matters. A supplement can potentially help the body deal with some consequences of strenuous exercise without directly making an athlete faster or stronger.

What About Endurance?

Endurance athletes may be particularly interested in CoQ10 because of its involvement in mitochondrial energy production. However, current evidence does not establish CoQ10 as a dependable way to increase aerobic capacity.

The athlete-focused systematic review found no consistent changes in VO₂ max, while newer research has likewise reported little or no effect on measures of aerobic metabolism.

That doesn’t mean CoQ10 has no value for an endurance athlete. Individual responses can vary, and some research suggests possible effects on fatigue or recovery. But the available evidence isn’t strong enough to promise that supplementation will improve running, cycling, swimming or other endurance performance.

Does the Dose Matter?

Studies have used a wide range of CoQ10 doses, which makes it difficult to identify a single dose specifically designed to improve athletic performance. Research in athletes has included amounts ranging from roughly 30 to 300 milligrams per day, while other studies have used substantially different protocols.

Importantly, more is not necessarily better. The latest evidence has not established a reliable dose-response relationship for improving exercise performance. Cleveland Clinic also notes that there is currently no universally established ideal CoQ10 dose and that supplementation should depend on the individual’s circumstances.

Anyone considering CoQ10 should therefore avoid assuming that a larger dose will produce a larger performance benefit.

Is CoQ10 Safe for Athletes?

CoQ10 is generally well tolerated, but it isn’t completely free of potential side effects. Reported problems can include digestive upset, nausea, diarrhea, heartburn and trouble sleeping.

It can also interact with certain medications. For example, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes potential interactions with warfarin and insulin. People taking prescription medications should discuss CoQ10 with a doctor or pharmacist before starting supplementation.

Athletes should also remember that supplements are not a replacement for adequate calories, carbohydrates, protein, hydration, sleep and a well-designed training program. Those fundamentals have a much stronger foundation in sports nutrition and performance science than CoQ10 supplementation.

The Bottom Line

CoQ10 is biologically relevant to athletic performance because it supports mitochondrial energy production and provides antioxidant activity. However, taking a CoQ10 supplement does not guarantee greater strength, speed, endurance or power.

The strongest emerging case may be for its potential role in managing some aspects of exercise-related oxidative stress and muscle damage, which could make it more relevant to recovery than to immediate performance enhancement. Even there, researchers caution that the evidence is inconsistent and generally of limited certainty.

For healthy athletes, CoQ10 is best viewed as an optional supplement with possible but relatively modest benefits—not a shortcut to better performance. If an athlete is considering it, the decision should take into account their diet, training demands, medications, health status and specific performance goals.

Sources:

1. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) — Coenzyme Q10
2. Cleveland Clinic — Should CoQ10 Supplements Be Part of Your Wellness Routine?
3. Mayo Clinic — CoQ10: Benefits, Uses, and How It Works
4. Healthline — 9 Benefits and Side Effects of Coenzyme Q10
5. Verywell Health — Athletic Performance and CoQ10 Supplements

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