There are various forms of biotin and they all belong to the family of B vitamins. Biotin is synthesised from bacteria (including gut bacteria) and mold and yeast fungus, algae, and certain plants. Biotin is water-soluble and because it does not get stored in the body we depend on regular intake/production of the nutrient. Biotin is removed when boiled in water.

Even short-term contact with cholesterol lowering drugs can cause potentially harmful side effects such as exercise intolerance and muscle pain, scientists report.

Ageing processes are associated with loss of muscle mass and impaired physical performance, both of which tend to lower quality of life. It is commonly known that coenzyme Q10 plays a significant role in cellular energy turnover and protects against oxidative stress. Now, two independent cohort studies even show a relation between the body’s Q10 status and muscle strength. Earlier research even suggests that Q10 supplements may help older people develop more youthful muscle fibers. Individuals who take cholesterol-lowering statins are advised to take Q10 supplements.

Supplementing with large doses of Q10 may help reduce pain and fatigue in people who suffer from fibromyalgia. An optimal treatment of the disease may even require focusing on underlying causes.

Q10 is involved in the energy turnover in all cells. The highest concentration of the compound is found in the heart, as this muscle needs to pump day and night and to supply muscle cells with more blood when we are physically active. The cellular energy turnover takes place inside some minute powerhouses called mitochondria. A Danish-Swedish study has shown that the mitochondria in the muscle cells of top-notch athletes have a different construction that makes them able to produce up to 25 per cent more energy. Earlier studies show that Q10 is able to improve athletic performance, and it all boils down to optimizing the energy turnover in the cells.

 ‘Taking capsules with co-enzyme Q10 has freed me of the severe side effects of my cholesterol lowering medicine,’ Mrs Franken explains. She used to suffer from nasty muscle pains, a common side effect of so-called statines. ‘Everything tended to hurt when I moved. That’s very annoying, to say the least. I’m glad that’s all in the past!’

An increasing number of people have started using magnesium supplements against migraine attacks and headaches. Even physicians acknowledge that this mineral may actually have great potential.

After a COVID-19 infection many people experience chronic symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, depression, and sleep disturbances. According to a study that is published in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, supplementing with Q10and alpha-lipoic acid may help against tiredness and certain other symptoms. The authors describe how Q10 and alpha-lipoic acid support the cellular energy turnover in different ways and serve as antioxidants that protect cells against oxidative stress and cellular damage.

Vitamin D is essential for muscle function and normal muscle size, according to a new study that is carried out by scientists at Westmead Institute for Medical Research in Sidney. Lack of vitamin D may result in impaired muscle function, including such problems as poor physical fitness level, muscle tension and loss of muscle mass.