You can boost your speed by taking 100 mg of the co-enzyme Q10 every day. To be more precise: your ability to perform fast and explosive movements in quick succession will increase slightly, according to a human study done by sports scientists at Selcuk University, and published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
The body produces Q10 itself, but it’s also found in small quantities in animal-based foods. Q10 functions as a protective factor in the conversion of nutrients into energy, which is why researchers study the effect of Q10 supplementation on physical performance.
The results of these studies are mixed. Many show no effect, some show a little effect. A 2008 study showed that if you get people to cycle to the point of exhaustion Q10 supplementation will improve their endurance capacity a little. Endurance athletes who have been training at a moderately intensive level for a long time can achieve slightly faster sprint times by taking Q10, according to a Japanese study. [Nutrition. 2008 Apr;24(4):293-9.] But even in the positive studies it’s impossible to work out the extent to which Q10 supplementation is beneficial.
The researchers at Selcuk University looked at the effects of Q10 on anaerobic exercise. They gave 7 non-active, healthy students a daily dose of 100 mg Q10 for a period of 8 weeks, and gave 8 other students a placebo. Before [Baseline] and after the supplementation period, the researchers tested the students’ anaerobic capacity using a Wingate test: the students had to cycle as fast as they could 5 times for a period of 30 seconds. Between sets the students rested for 2 minutes.
The researchers noticed that Q10 boosted the peak power [first figure below] and the mean power [second figure below] during the last set. The increase in mean power during the last set was statistically significant.
“According to these results, CoQ10 may show performance-enhancing effects during the repeated bouts of supramaximal exercises and CoQ10 might be used as ergogenic aid”, the researchers conclude.
The effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on performance during repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise in sedentary men.
Gökbel H, Gül I, Belviranl M, Okudan N.
Source
Department of Physiology, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of oral coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation on performance during repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise. This randomized, double-blind, crossover study was composed of two 8-week periods of supplementation with either 100 mg.d(-1) CoQ10 or placebo. Fifteen healthy and sedentary men participated in the study. Five Wingate tests (WTs) with 75 g.kg(-1) body weight load with 2-minute intervals between tests were performed 3 times at baseline, after CoQ10, or placebo supplementation during the study period. Peak power (PP), mean power (MP), and fatigue index were calculated. During the 5 WTs, PP and MP tended to decrease and fatigue index tended to increase in all groups (p < 0.05). Peak power decreased with CoQ10 and placebo supplementation during the WT1, WT2, and WT2 (p < 0.05). Mean power increased only with CoQ10 supplementation during the WT5. Fatigue indexes decreased with CoQ10 supplementation, but these decreases did not differ from that seen with placebo supplementation. According to these results, CoQ10 may show performance-enhancing effects during the repeated bouts of supramaximal exercises and CoQ10 might be used as ergogenic aid. PMID: 19644406 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19644406
