Effect of ubiquinol supplementation on biochemical and oxidative stress indexes after intense exercise in young athletes.

Redox report : communications in free radical research. 2018;23(1):136-145

Plain language summary

Strenuous exercise or overtraining increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially in mitochondria. ROS production in excess leads to oxidative stress, cellular dysfunction, and oxidation of molecules such as DNA, polyunsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, and proteins. Previous research has shown that antioxidant supplementation might lead to the downregulation of ROS production. Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant believed to be effective in downregulating the effects of oxidative stress and preventing cellular damage. However, most previous studies have used ubiquinone, an oxidised form of Coenzyme Q10. Ubiquinol, a reduced form of Coenzyme Q10, is highly bioavailable, stable and in a form that the body can readily use. This randomised, double-blinded, crossover-controlled trial investigated ubiquinol's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on biochemical and oxidative stress indexes after an intense bout of exercise in trained athletes. Twenty-one male athletes in constant training were randomly taking 200 mg/day of ubiquinol for a month. After a single bout of intense aerobic and endurance exercise, the participants showed a rapid and significant reduction in ubiquinol levels, especially lipoprotein CoQ10 and increased muscle damage markers such as Creatine kinase (CK) and Myoglobin (Mb). Ubiquinol supplementation prevented exercise-induced CoQ10 scarcity and reduced the activity of paraoxonase, an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant enzyme protective against oxidative stress in lipoprotein and circulating cells. Ubiquinol supplementation was associated with a significant decrease in cytosolic ROS in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Ubiquinol supplementation enhanced plasma and cellular antioxidant levels. Healthcare professionals can use the results of this study to understand the antioxidant effects of ubiquinol supplementation and its buffering effect on plasma CoQ10 balances and exercise-induced CoQ10 depletion. However, further robust studies are required to evaluate the therapeutic potential of ubiquinol supplementation in sports nutrition.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES Physical exercise significantly impacts the biochemistry of the organism. Ubiquinone is a key component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and ubiquinol, its reduced and active form, is an emerging molecule in sport nutrition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ubiquinol supplementation on biochemical and oxidative stress indexes after an intense bout of exercise. METHODS 21 male young athletes (26 + 5 years of age) were randomized in two groups according to a double blind cross-over study, either supplemented with ubiquinol (200 mg/day) or placebo for 1 month. Blood was withdrawn before and after a single bout of intense exercise (40 min run at 85% maxHR). Physical performance, hematochemical parameters, ubiquinone/ubiquinol plasma content, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, paraoxonase activity and oxidative DNA damage were analyzed. RESULTS A single bout of intense exercise produced a significant increase in most hematochemical indexes, in particular CK and Mb while, on the contrary, normalized coenzyme Q10 plasma content decreased significantly in all subjects. Ubiquinol supplementation prevented exercise-induced CoQ deprivation and decrease in paraoxonase activity. Moreover at a cellular level, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, ubiquinol supplementation was associated with a significant decrease in cytosolic ROS while mitochondrial membrane potential and oxidative DNA damage remained unchanged. DISCUSSION Data highlights a very rapid dynamic of CoQ depletion following intense exercise underlying an increased demand by the organism. Ubiquinol supplementation minimized exercise-induced depletion and enhanced plasma and cellular antioxidant levels but it was not able to improve physical performance indexes or markers of muscular damage.

Lifestyle medicine

Fundamental Clinical Imbalances : Immune and inflammation ; Structural
Patient Centred Factors : Mediators/Ubiquinol
Environmental Inputs : Nutrients ; Physical exercise
Personal Lifestyle Factors : Nutrition ; Exercise and movement
Functional Laboratory Testing : Blood
Bioactive Substances : Ubiquinol

Methodological quality

Jadad score : 3
Allocation concealment : No

Metadata