June 2, 2014 | Pop Sugar

Ubiquinol: Have You Heard? It Takes the Pain Out of Exercising

2 June, 2014 by Stephanie Ayre

We’ve all been guilty of this scenario at least once: running in over-drive, squeezing in workouts before or after work, but not allowing ourselves to really rest in between. It’s almost impossible to tick off everything in one single day, when did things get so fast? Unfortunately, if exercising is a regular on your to-do list it’s so important to allow your body to recover efficiently before your next session. But if there is no time, how on earth is this achievable?

Enter ubiquinol. It’s one of the essential antioxidants produced naturally in the body that can help with fatigue and muscle repair, but sometimes we might need a little extra than what our body can give us. Here’s how this natural antioxidant can play a role in workout recovery.

Muscle Soreness

Research has shown that over-exercising may increase the production of free radicals in the body; free radicals may cause oxidation, which has the potential to interfere with the normal functioning of tissues in the body.

Similarly, insufficient recovery between workouts may also increase production of free radicals. Free radicals may cause inflammation and muscle soreness. If you are exercising in the city or a smoggy area you also have greater exposure to these free radicals due to environmental toxicity.

Antioxidants and Fatigue

Just like stress, exercise can also hit your body hard and deplete levels of key antioxidants within the body. Stephen explains that antioxidants work to help minimise the activity of free radicals and support healthy cells.

The body uses antioxidants to soak up free radicals like sponges. Under normal conditions, there is an important balance between free radicals and antioxidants within the body. Over-exercising or insufficient recovery time may tip the balance towards excess free radical production. This has been shown to contribute to exercise-associated inflammation and muscle soreness.

Ubiquinol and How to Get it

So what is ubiquinol? Lucky for us, it’s naturally produced in our body and is responsible for promoting energy production in all cells, including those found in the heart and muscles. But when we put our body under prolonged stress (like with lots exercise and no rest) our levels of ubiquinol can be quickly depleted. As a result, we feel tired, have little energy and our muscles can remain stiff and sore.

So, in order to get a extra hit of this good stuff we could consume impractical amounts of foods like red meat, chicken, peanuts, sardines and spinach. Or, take a supplement to help restore healthy levels.

Rest and Recovery

If you are engaging in regular physical activity (or training for a race) you should be aiming to avoid over-exercising, and ensure you slot in adequate time for rest and recovery between workouts.

If you feel that you are over-training and are experiencing physical fatigue, you may want to consider the benefits of ubiquinol supplementation for optimal energy and recovery.

http://www.popsugar.com.au/fitness/Ubiquinol-Antioxidant-Workout-Recovery-34900569

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