How do mitochondria produce energy?
Energy production in mitochondria takes place through cellular respiration, a biochemical reaction in which ATP is generated in the mitochondria. This is done through the biological combustion of small biomolecules, mainly glucose. For this, it is necessary that food that enters the body is broken down into substances that are useful for the body. For example, sugars are split by enzymes into the smallest version of sugar, namely glucose. Glucose can become energy in the mitochondria. To do this, glucose is first split into two even smaller molecules. These molecules then undergo oxidation during the so-called citric acid cycle and then the production of ATP takes place through the respiratory chain, a handy energy package that can go to places in the cell where the energy is needed. In fact, your mitochondria do not produce energy themselves, but they convert it from one form to another. You can see this process a bit like the respiration of your cells.
Mitochondria and a fit body
How well your mitochondria work determines how fit and healthy your body is. After all, thanks to the energy that mitochondria produce, your heart beats, food is digested in your intestines, you produce hormones, you breathe, your body stays warm, your cells renew themselves, your blood is pumped around and so on. In addition to these basic functions, your mitochondria provide energy for everything you want to do, such as exercising, cooking, shopping, singing and everything else you put your energy into every day. About 70% of your energy is needed for the basic needs of your body. As we get older, the number of well-functioning mitochondria per cell will slowly decrease. This is a normal and natural phenomenon. So the older you get, the less energy is available in the body. You could say that natural aging and the decline in mitochondrial function are closely related.
Mitochondria and energy
Your mitochondria are therefore an important player when it comes to your body's energy level. In healthy people, all mitochondria together make up about 10% of the body weight. In fanatic athletes, this is even more. This has to do with the fact that muscle cells are chock full of these small energy factories: each muscle cell contains about 5,000 mitochondria, while other cells contain 'only' 1,000 to 4,000. Mitochondria need food molecules to be able to convert into energy, so what you eat is very decisive for the functioning of your mitochondria.
What is Coenzyme Q10?
Coenzyme Q10, also known as Q10, is a vitamin-like substance that occurs naturally in all of our cells. Q10 occurs in our body in two forms: ubiquinone is the oxidized form and ubiquinol is the reduced or active form. 'Ubiquitus' means 'omnipresent' in Latin, which is indeed appropriate, as this substance is present throughout our body. The body is able to convert ubiquinone into ubiquinol and vice versa, but this process becomes more difficult as we age. Dr. Frederick L. Crane was the one who first discovered coenzyme Q10 in 1957, when he managed to isolate it from the mitochondria of a bovine heart. He and his team were also able to show that Q10 is essential for the production of ATP (energy) in the mitochondria of every cell in our body. Organs and tissues that use a lot of energy, such as the heart, pancreas, liver, kidneys, immune system, nervous system and muscles, have higher levels of coenzyme Q10 in their mitochondria. Q10 works alternately as an electron donor (ubiquinol) and electron acceptor (ubiquinone) in the respiratory chain of the cell. A good source of Q10 is organ meats, especially liver, kidneys and calf sweetbreads. Whole grains, poultry, peanuts, nuts, spinach, broccoli and oily fish also contain small amounts of this coenzyme. It is also available as a supplement. Kaneka is the company that was the first to isolate ubiquinol without exposure to light and air and to keep it stable, allowing it to be produced on a larger scale.
