This one time, at bootcamp (no, not BAND camp and actually it was just yesterday), a few of the 5:30 campers joined our 9:15 class...something about alarms not going off and such. First off, let me mention that the women who get up and out of bed at 5:30 to have Derek put their bodies through hell are, shall we just say, younger and spunkier than those of us who meander in at 9:15 to work out. So they bee-bop in and a few of the 40-somethings sort of groaned, "Oh great, they are totally going to run circles around us." And I thought to myself, "Like hell." I positioned myself beside the bee-bopiest during sprints and I kept up. (We won't talk about how the next day, being today, I can hardly move and she is probably doing power yoga as I type.) But as I was running beside her, I knew it was more of an effort for me than for her. Why???? Well, the answer may lie in the amount of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ 10) contained in her cells verses the amount my twice-as-old cells contain.
CoQ10, also known as ubiquinone, is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like substance that every human cell contains and it is directly involved in the biochemical reactions that produce energy in cells. The problem is, with age, the amount we have naturally occuring in our bodies is significantly reduced. I know. Not fair. Life sucks. Move on. You can take it supplementally and gain back some of your mojo.
So besides increased energy, CoQ10 has several health benefits. Here are several...
~ it is fabulous for the heart, effective in the treatment of angina, protecting the heart against surgery-induced stress, aids in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases
~ it was originally developed as a treatment for high blood pressure and is still used for those purposes today
~ it appears to slow the effects of Parkinson's disease
~ it helps to reduce the frequency of migraine headaches
~ it supports better immune function
~ it provides protection against magnetic field exposure
~ it may help guard the body against breast cancer
~ it can aid weight loss because it helps stimulate metabolism
~ new studies show it is effective in slowing the aging process, especially of our brains
So, as soon as this ice storm passes, I am going out to replenish my CoQ10 supply and get back into a regular habit of taking it with my daily vitamin regime. And yes, this is something I will supplement because I don't care for the foods that contain the highest amounts of CoQ10 (fish, beef hearts, and liver).
Then next time, at bootcamp, I will run circles around those 20-somethings.
where will you buy it and what brand??
ReplyDeleteMy favorite place to go to ask what is the best quality of a vitamin or herb I want to take is the health food store in Fishers, North Star. The women there are very honest and knowledgeable. I quit taking CoQ10 because it was so pricey but it's something I've noticed a difference in, so I'm going to spend the money. I know the NOW brand of vitamins is good, but after my visit to North Star, I'll call you and let you know what else I learn.
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