ubiquinol and Fatigue

Strenuous exercise (any activity that expends six metabolic equivalents per minute or more causing sensations of fatigue and exhaustion to occur, inducing deleterious effects, affecting negatively different cells), induces muscle damage and hematological changes associated with high production of pro-inflammatory mediators related to muscle damage and sports anemia. The objective of this study was to determine whether short-term oral ubiquinol supplementation can prevent accumulation of inflammatory mediators and hematological impairment associated to strenuous exercise. For this purpose, 100 healthy and well-trained firemen were classified in two groups: Ubiquinol (experimental group), and placebo group (control). The protocol was two identical strenuous exercise tests with rest period between tests of 24 h. Blood samples were collected before supplementation (basal value) (T1), after supplementation (T2), after first physical exercise test (T3), after 24 h of rest (T4), and after second physical exercise test (T5). Hematological parameters, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors were measured. Red blood cells (RBC), hematocrit, hemoglobin, VEGF, NO, EGF, IL-1ra, and IL-10 increased in the ubiquinol group while IL-1, IL-8, and MCP-1 decreased. Ubiquinol supplementation during high intensity exercise could modulate inflammatory signaling, expression of pro-inflammatory, and increasing some anti-inflammatory cytokines. During exercise, RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, VEGF, and EGF increased in ubiquinol group, revealing a possible pro-angiogenic effect, improving oxygen supply and exerting a possible protective effect on other physiological alterations.

Topics: Chemokine CCL2; Cytokines; Double-Blind Method; Erythrocyte Count; Exercise; Exercise Test; Fatigue; Female; Hematocrit; Hemoglobins; Humans; Inflammation Mediators; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Interleukin-1; Male; Muscle, Skeletal; Oxygen Consumption; Signal Transduction; Ubiquinone

The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefit of oral ubiquinol-10 supplementation in CFS patients using an open-label study and a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled (RCT) study. Twenty patients with CFS were randomly enrolled in an 8-week open-label oral ubiquinol-10 (150 mg ubiquinol-10/day) study. The patients and the attending physicians were not blinded to the supplementation. Forty-three patients with CFS were randomly assigned to receive either ubiquinol-10 (150 mg/day) or placebo every day for 12 weeks. The patients and the attending physicians were blinded to the supplementation, and a total of 31 patients (N = 17 in the ubiquinol group and 14 in the placebo group) completed the study. The beneficial effects of ubiquinol-10 were observed in the open-label study we conducted prior to the RCT. The RCT results suggest that supplementation with ubiquinol-10 for 12 weeks is effective for improving several CFS symptoms. © 2016 BioFactors, 42(4):431-440, 2016.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; Antioxidants; Autonomic Nervous System; Biomarkers; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Fatigue; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic; Female; Humans; Male; Treatment Outcome; Ubiquinone

Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by generalized pain and chronic fatigue of unknown etiology. To evaluate the role of oxidative stress in this disorder, we measured plasma levels of ubiquinone-10, ubiquinol-10, free cholesterol (FC), cholesterol esters (CE), and free fatty acids (FFA) in patients with juvenile FM (n=10) and in healthy control subjects (n=67). Levels of FC and CE were significantly increased in juvenile FM as compared with controls, suggesting the presence of hypercholesterolemia in this disease. However, plasma level of ubiquinol-10 was significantly decreased and the ratio of ubiquinone-10 to total coenzyme Q10 (%CoQ10) was significantly increased in juvenile FM relative to healthy controls, suggesting that FM is associated with coenzyme Q10 deficiency and increased oxidative stress. Moreover, plasma level of FFA was significantly higher and the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in total FFA was significantly lower in FM than in controls, suggesting increased tissue oxidative damage in juvenile FM. Interestingly, the content of monoenoic acids, such as oleic and palmitoleic acids, was significantly increased in FM relative to controls, probably to compensate for the loss of PUFA. Next, we examined the effect of ubiquinol-10 supplementation (100 mg/day for 12 weeks) in FM patients. This resulted in an increase in coenzyme Q10 levels and a decrease in %CoQ10. No changes were observed in FFA levels or their composition. However, plasma levels of FC and CE significantly decreased and the ratio of FC to CE also significantly decreased, suggesting that ubiquinol-10 supplementation improved cholesterol metabolism. Ubiquinol-10 supplementation also improved chronic fatigue scores as measured by the Chalder Fatigue Scale.

Topics: Adolescent; Antioxidants; Ataxia; Case-Control Studies; Child; Cholesterol; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Fatigue; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; Female; Fibromyalgia; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Male; Mitochondrial Diseases; Muscle Weakness; Oleic Acid; Oxidative Stress; Pain Measurement; Ubiquinone

Topics: Adult; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Fatigue; Female; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Motivation; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Oxidative Stress; Relaxation; Surveys and Questionnaires; Ubiquinone

Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Dietary Supplements; Fatigue; Lipid Metabolism; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Muscle Strength; Physical Conditioning, Animal; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Swimming; Ubiquinone

Fatigue is the most common and distressing symptom reported by cancer patients during and after treatment. Tumor growth increases oxidative stress and cytokine production, which causes skeletal muscle wasting and cardiac dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to determine whether treatment with the antioxidant ubiquinol improves muscle mass, cardiac function, and behavioral measures of fatigue in tumor-bearing mice.. Adult female mice were inoculated with colon26 tumor cells. Half the control and tumor-bearing mice were administered ubiquinol (500 mg/kg/day) in their drinking water. Voluntary wheel running (i.e., voluntary running activity [VRA]) and grip strength were measured at Days 0, 8, 14, and 17 of tumor growth. Cardiac function was measured using echocardiography on Day 18 or 19. Biomarkers of inflammation, protein degradation, and oxidative stress were measured in serum and heart and gastrocnemius tissue.. VRA and grip strength progressively declined in tumor-bearing mice. Muscle mass and myocardial diastolic function were decreased, and expression of proinflammatory cytokines was increased in serum and muscle and heart tissue on Day 19 of tumor growth. Oxidative stress was present only in the heart, while biomarkers of protein degradation were increased only in the gastrocnemius muscle. Ubiquinol increased muscle mass in the tumor-bearing and control animals but had no effect on the expression of biomarkers of inflammation, protein degradation, or oxidative stress or on behavioral measures of fatigue.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Animals; Antioxidants; Colonic Neoplasms; Fatigue; Female; Mice; Motor Activity; Muscle, Skeletal; Neoplasms, Experimental; Oxidative Stress; Ubiquinone