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Does Coenzyme Q10 Have a Positive Effect on Fatigue? What 1 Study Shows

コエンザイムQ10 · coenzyme Q10 · Last updated:

hintl editorial team / Nutrition Desk

Nutrition genre desk — research review

オレンジ色の粒入りカプセルが白い容器のふたからこぼれている様子
Research data last updated: |How this works

Key points

There are positive reports, but high-quality human studies (RCTs / meta-analyses) are still limited.

For fatigue · 1 study · 1,126 participants

hintl Evidence Score 62/100 (1 study, confidence moderate).

Evidence at a glance

How does coenzyme Q10 affect fatigue?

reported, but evidence is limited
62/100 Evidence ScoreConfidence: moderate1 study
How the 62 is built
Study design base
meta-analysis or systematic review
+40/40
RCT bonus
no RCT
0/15
Study count bonus
1 study
+2/10
Participants bonus
Total 1,126 participants
+20/20
Consistency bonus
needs 2+ human studies
0/10

Scoring method

There are positive reports, but high-quality human studies (RCTs / meta-analyses) are still limited.

  • 1 human study (1,126 participants total)
  • Still unknown: few studies so far; few longer-duration studies

  • There are research reports suggesting that taking coenzyme Q10 may have a positive effect on fatigue.
  • The evidence score is 62, and the reliability of the information is considered moderate.
  • This is based on research that included not only healthy people but also people with some kind of illness.

Coenzyme Q10 is an ingredient that has been studied as a supplementation approach for reducing fatigue.

This ingredient is generally discussed in the context of being taken as a supplement.

There is an interesting research finding on how coenzyme Q10 may affect the sensation of fatigue we feel. This report suggests that taking coenzyme Q10 may work in the direction of reducing fatigue.

Specifically, a statistical analysis produced a value showing that fatigue scores tend to decrease. In other words, this is a report that taking this ingredient may bring about some change in the degree of fatigue felt. Of course, how it is felt differs from person to person, and some people see no effect.

This research included as many as 1,126 participants. This number of participants represents a study of a certain scale, designed to account for differences in individual constitution and circumstances. It is also known that those studied were not limited to healthy people, but also included people with some kind of illness.

As a research method, a systematic review (a method that collects, organizes, and analyzes existing research on a specific theme according to predetermined strict rules) was used. Within this, a meta-analysis (a method of statistically combining numerical values obtained from multiple studies into one overall figure) was also carried out.

This analysis was based on a paper published under the title "Effectiveness of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation for Reducing Fatigue: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials." This summarized the results of randomized controlled trials (a reliable research method in which participants are randomly divided into groups to accurately measure the effect of a specific factor on the outcome).

This analysis used a value called Hedges' g (a statistical measure of effect size). The results reported a tendency for fatigue scores to decrease in the group that took coenzyme Q10. Specifically, a value of Hedges' g = -0.398 was shown.

Statistical significance (a state in which the obtained result can be said to have arisen from some cause rather than by chance) is also mentioned, with a value of p = 0.001 reported. This indicates that the probability of this result occurring by chance is very low. In other words, the research results suggest that there may be an association between taking coenzyme Q10 and a reduction in fatigue.

The evidence score for this study is 62, and the reliability of the information is rated as moderate. The evidence score is a numerical representation of how reliable the information is, and this figure indicates a certain degree of reliability.

However, there are several points to be aware of when interpreting this report. First, only 1 study was included in this summary. Consistent results have not been obtained from multiple different studies; rather, this should be understood as based on a single, well-conducted study. It should therefore not be forgotten that, at this point, it cannot be described as "certain."

Also, because the studies included both healthy people and people with illnesses, the expected results may not appear depending on individual constitution or health status. It is important to understand that it may not work for everyone.

StudyDesignNumber of ParticipantsDurationMain Result
Frontiers in pharmacology (2022, PMID:36091835)Systematic review1126UnknownA positive effect was reported

The study included 1,126 people, both healthy individuals and those with an illness.

Because the participants included both healthy people and people with an illness, this can serve as a reference when thinking about your own condition.

There is 1 study.

The study design is a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The reliability is reported as moderate.

What effect does taking coenzyme Q10 have on fatigue?

Research has been reported showing a positive effect on fatigue. This is based on 1 study.

Who were the participants in the coenzyme Q10 research?

There were 1,126 participants, including both healthy people and people with an illness.

What research method was used to analyze coenzyme Q10?

A systematic review and meta-analysis was used. This drew on 1 study.

Research results suggest that taking coenzyme Q10 may have a positive effect on fatigue. The evidence score is 62, and the reliability of the information is reported as moderate. This content is based on 1 study, so please also understand that there are aspects where the research cannot yet be described as sufficient.

If you'd like to learn more about a way of taking nutrients that suits you, please try the self-check diagnostic.

References

This page's evaluation is based on the following peer-reviewed studies (1). Each link goes directly to the primary source (PubMed / DOI).

  1. Effectiveness of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation for Reducing Fatigue: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.systematic review · Frontiers in pharmacology · 2022

Things to keep in mind

  • Supplements are not medicines. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or take medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

Related items

Evidence Scores are computed mechanically from the published research (PubMed / Semantic Scholar / OpenAlex): study design, participant numbers, and consistency across studies. An LLM is used only to extract study data, never to decide a score.

This is research-based information, not medical advice, and not a diagnosis. Consult a qualified professional about your own situation.

How the Evidence Score is calculated

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hintl editorial team / Nutrition Desk

Nutrition genre desk — research review

We continuously check the published research and translate the technical language into plain terms. The policy is to report a trend in the research, never a flat claim that something "works".

This article was produced by an editorial system from published research and is managed by the editor-in-responsibility (Takuya Hirata, representative of AJARA LLC).