It’s sometimes hard for me to believe that it’s almost 2 years since I started training for my ride to Paris from London. Just talking about it a few weeks ago, I was reminiscing and realised that in all my years, that was probably the most committed and consistent block of training I had completed.
But it did take its toll and with in a couple months of returning from Paris, I started to suffer from symptoms of over-training. Exercise, training and running all puts a strain on the body which can result in reduced energy levels, specifically through the reduction of a substance called Ubiquinol. But let’s come back to that shortly…
A few weeks ago, after my visit to Lanzarote, I dropped my bags at home in my bedroom, got some sleep then woke up the following morning to make my way up to Birmingham for the National Running Show.
Upon arrival, Bethan and I made a beeline for the Kaneka Ubiquinol stand to find out more about this naturally produced ingredient that powers every single cell in our bodies!
What is Ubiquinol? And Why Should We Care?
Ubiquinol is the active, non-oxidized, reduced form of what is known as Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). It’s a fat soluble, vitamin-like substance which the body produces naturally for use at a cellular level to produce energy. So the short story is, it’s kinda important.
The benefits of supplementing with Ubiquinol have been well researched; one study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that performance of German athletes in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympics was significantly improved when they supplemented daily with a 300mg dose for 6 weeks.
Kaneka Ubiquinol is a breakthrough innovation in sports nutrition as it is naturally produced from a strain of yeast (this means each capsule is vegetarian friendly and gluten free!).
Boosts Energy Before, During & After Exercise
I’ve been taking the Revive Active Ubiquinol CoQ10 supplement since the end of December 2018 as I wanted to test it properly before attending the Running Show and writing my review.
I take one capsule each morning, usually with my breakfast, which contains 100mg. Therefore, I believed it would take a while to ‘top up’ my stores and really see the benefits.
The Expert at the show also suggested ‘Ubiquinol Loading’ such as mentioned earlier with the athletes who took 300mg each day. He suggested taking 300-600mg for the the 5 days leading up to your big event and for the 5 days following the event.
Improving My Running Performance
You probably missed the memo, but I made a decision to focus any running I do this year on the 5km distance. I’m not looking for speed or new PB’s… just for consistency, good form and to feel like 5km energises me rather than drains me.
So part of this will come down to how well I recover after each run or training session I do and is another area that supplementing with Ubiquinol can help.
As with any supplement, it’s impossible to fully attribute changes to it, but I feel I have noticed a difference in energy levels when I’ve been out running (Parkrun and Lanzarote), out on the bike or training.
As my workload for University lessens and I have more time to get out and log some miles / kms on foot, I’m keen to see if continuing to use the Revive Active Ubiquinol CoQ10 will keep my energy levels boosted!
Have you ever supplemented with Ubiquinol?
Elle
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