Coenzyme Q10 · Ubiquinol · Ubiquinone
Essential for ATP production — depleted by statins, age, and high training loads.
FDA
Approved
WADA
Not Listed
HALF-LIFE
~33–36 hours
ROUTE
Oral
SCHEDULE
Daily with fat-containing meal
In Plain English
Essential for ATP production — depleted by statins, age, and high training loads.
Status & Legality
What do these mean?Mitochondrial ATP production
Cardiovascular support
Statin depletion reversal
Exercise recovery
CoQ10 (ubiquinone) is a fat-soluble compound essential to the mitochondrial electron transport chain — the process that generates 95% of cellular ATP. Endogenous production peaks in the mid-20s and declines with age. Statins block CoQ10 synthesis via the mevalonate pathway, making supplementation critical for anyone on statins. Ubiquinol is the active, reduced form with better bioavailability than ubiquinone, especially in older adults.
Mild nausea if taken on empty stomach
GI discomfort at high doses
Headache (uncommon)
Insomnia if taken too late in day (uncommon)
Choosing ubiquinone over ubiquinol after age 40 — conversion efficiency from ubiquinone to active ubiquinol drops with age; ubiquinol is the direct active form
Taking without fat — CoQ10 is fat-soluble; absorption without dietary fat drops by 60%; always take with a fat-containing meal
Not supplementing when on statin drugs — statins block the same mevalonate pathway that produces CoQ10; muscle symptoms many statin users experience are often CoQ10 depletion
Statins — CoQ10 depletion is a direct effect of statin use; supplementation is considered mandatory
Warfarin — CoQ10 may modestly reduce warfarin's anticoagulant effect; monitor INR
Antihypertensives — additive blood pressure lowering; monitor if on medications
If you're on any statin, CoQ10 supplementation is not optional — it's mandatory. Statins block the mevalonate pathway that produces both cholesterol AND CoQ10, and the muscle symptoms many statin users experience are frequently CoQ10 depletion. For everyone else: 200 mg ubiquinol with a fat-containing meal is the evidence-backed mitochondrial baseline.
NMN
The most direct oral precursor to NAD+ — fast conversion, strong uptake.
L-CARNITINE
Shuttles fatty acids into mitochondria — critical for fat oxidation and recovery.
EPITHALON
Telomere extension peptide — the longevity compound.
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Stats
Sources & Studies
Mortensen SA. et al., JACC Heart Fail, 2014