Q10 is involved in the energy turnover in all cells. The highest concentration of the compound is found in the heart, as this muscle needs to pump day and night and to supply muscle cells with more blood when we are physically active. The cellular energy turnover takes place inside some minute powerhouses called mitochondria. A Danish-Swedish study has shown that the mitochondria in the muscle cells of top-notch athletes have a different construction that makes them able to produce up to 25 per cent more energy. Earlier studies show that Q10 is able to improve athletic performance, and it all boils down to optimizing the energy turnover in the cells.

More and more doctors are prescribing more and more statins. Statins do their work by blocking the activity in the liver of the enzyme HMG-CoA, an enzyme that facilitates the synthesis of cholesterol.

Statins and Q10 - same biological pathway

Now we know, from several human and animal studies, that taking statins also inhibits an important step in the body's production of Coenzyme Q10. Dr. Richard Deichmann has summarized the studies that show that CoQ10 deficiency states can result from taking statins.

Taking statins has been associated with reduced levels of CoQ10 in blood serum and in muscle tissue. For example, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology has shown that treatment with a statin preparation in a moderate dosage resulted in significantly reduced plasma levels of CoQ10.

Yes, statins are effective at lowering cholesterol levels. There is little doubt about that. But, in common with most prescription medications, statins do have side effects.