The Effect of Acute CoQ Supplementation on Exercise-induced Redox Changes in Aged Males

Categories: Physical Activity and Health, Skeletal Muscle

Purpose: There is substantial interest in the potential for CoQ to improve muscle health and function, and delay the onset of age-related decline. Age-related decline in muscle function is associated with an accumulation of oxidative damage to cell structures, unfavourable changes in metabolism, and dysregulation of the protective antioxidant defence system, with CoQ supplementation, thought to modulate these processes. Previous research indicated a trend for oral CoQ supplementation to increase skeletal muscle CoQ concentration in a young population (Cooke et al 2008), however, this has not been investigated in aged participants.
Methods: Five healthy males (60 ± 6 years) participated in a cross-over study. Participants consumed 300 mg CoQ or placebo in the 24 hours prior to testing. The HIIE protocol consisted of a five-minute incremental warm-up, followed by four minutes of high-intensity exercise at 90 – 95% heart rate max (HRmax ) and 3 minutes of lower-intensity, exercise at 70% of HRmax, the protocol was repeated three times. Blood samples were collected at baseline, after each bout of high-intensity exercise, and at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min post-exercise. Muscle biopsy samples were collected at baseline, immediately and 180 min post-exercise. Blood was analysed for lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), protein carbonyls (PC), and CoQ concentration (CoQ). Muscle tissue homogenates were analysed for LOOH, PC, and CoQ.
Results: Compared to the placebo group, supplementation increased mean CoQ concentration at baseline significantly in serum (p = <0.01) and with a trend towards an increase in muscle (p = 0.32). Significantly higher serum LOOH concentrations were observed in the CoQ group compared to placebo at 60 min post-exercise (p =0.05). However, at 180 min post-exercise, the CoQ group serum LOOH concentration is significantly lower than the placebo (p = 0.04). Mean muscle PC concentration was shown to increase immediately post-exercise (mean difference = 43 ± 24% vs baseline) and increased further at 180 min post-exercise (mean difference = 51 ± 98% vs baseline) with placebo supplementation. However, this was attenuated following CoQ supplementation with PC concentrations tending to decline after exercise (mean difference = 20 ± 9% immediately post-exercise and 1 ± 6% at 180 min post-exercise, vs baseline).
Conclusion: Acute consumption of 300 mg CoQ sufficiently increased blood and muscle CoQ concentration in aged populations, providing some protection against exercise-induced increases in lipid hydroperoxides in blood and muscle.

Research completed with funding from The University of Hull PhD Studentship and provision of supplements and placebo provided by Pharma Nord, UK.