Article Ubiquinol Short-Term Supplementation Prior to Strenuous Exercise Improves Physical Performance and Diminishes Muscle Damage Moreno Fernández, Jorge Puche Juárez, María Toledano, Juan M. Chirosa Ríos, Ignacio Jesús Chirosa Ríos, Luis Javier Pulido Moran, Mario Díaz Castro, Javier Ochoa, Julio J. Ubiquinol Muscle damage Intense physical Exercise protocol The benefits of physical exercise on health are diminished when it is non-planned, strenuous, or vigorous, which causes an increase in oxygen consumption and production of free radicals, particularly serious at the muscular level. Ubiquinol could help achieve an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and ergogenic effect. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether a supplementation of ubiquinol during a short period could have a positive effect on muscle aggression, physical performance, and fatigue perception in non-elite athletes after high intensity circuit weight training. One hundred healthy and well-trained men, (firemen of the Fire Department of Granada) were enrolled in a placebocontrolled, double-blinded, and randomized study, and separated into two groups: the placebo group (PG, n = 50); and the ubiquinol group (UG, n = 50), supplemented with an oral dose. Before and after the intervention, data related to the number of repetitions, muscle strength, and perceived exertion, as well as blood samples were collected. An increase was observed in the UG regarding average load and repetitions, revealing an improvement in muscle performance. Ubiquinol supplementation also reduced muscle damage markers, showing a protective effect on muscle fibers. Therefore, this study provides evidence that ubiquinol supplementation improves muscle performance and prevents muscle damage after strenuous exercise in a population of well-trained individuals who are not elite athletes. 2023-07-17T08:13:32Z 2023-07-17T08:13:32Z 2023-05-31 journal article Moreno-Fernandez, J.; Puche-Juarez, M.; Toledano, J.M.; Chirosa, I.; Chirosa, L.J.; Pulido-Moran, M.; Kajarabille, N.; Guisado, I.M.; Guisado, R.; Diaz-Castro, J.; et al. Ubiquinol Short-Term Supplementation Prior to Strenuous Exercise Improves Physical Performance and Diminishes Muscle Damage. Antioxidants 2023, 12, 1193. [https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12061193] https://hdl.handle.net/10481/83778 10.3390/ antiox12061193 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ open access Atribución 4.0 Internacional MDPI