BY STEVE BORN
32 years ago, most people had never even heard of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), let alone knew about its multiple benefits for athletic performance and overall health. One company, however, Hammer Nutrition (known as E-CAPS back then), was already "in the know" about this remarkable nutrient, harnessing the power of CoQ10 into a product called "Race Caps." It didn't take long for the word to get out that a truly effective, safe, and perfectly legal endurance-enhancing supplement was finally available. If you were a serious endurance athlete in the late 1980s and 1990s, Race Caps was a part of your arsenal.
In the coming years, athletes and non-athletes became more informed about the plethora of benefits attributed to CoQ10, and CoQ10 supplements became more readily available. Not content to rest on its laurels, Hammer Nutrition continued to blaze the trail. In 2003, while other companies were still trying to play catch up, the original Race Caps formula was revised to include, among other things, a potent, multi-beneficial nutrient called idebenone. A great product had become even better, so a new name was in order: Race Caps Supreme.
Nothing has changed since that landmark time back in 1987. Whether you're a full-time competitive athlete, a recreational athlete who participates in athletic events, or someone whose primary goal is to stay fit and enjoy optimal health, Race Caps Supreme is a must-have, daily use supplement. For 32 years and counting, Race Caps Supreme has supplied benefits such as these:
- Higher energy levels during workouts and all day long, without the unpleasant stimulant side effects that come from the ingredients in many other supplements
- Noticeable increase in endurance
- Less muscle soreness and enhanced recovery after training sessions
- Antioxidant support for optimal immune system function
- Key nutrients that help optimize cardiovascular system health and protect against many types of degenerative diseases
The key players
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) - Known also as ubiquinone (from the word "ubiquitous," meaning it exists just about everywhere), CoQ10 is a vitally important substrate (think "spark plug") for the efficient production of energy from your food and oxygen intake.
CoQ10's importance goes far beyond athletic performance enhancement; its role in maintaining clean, efficient energy production is clearly crucial for optimal health, especially with regard to cardiovascular and brain health and a strong immune system.
Nutritional scientists are universally in agreement about the importance of CoQ10; here are just a couple comments:
"Without CoQ10 or a good substitute, human life quickly ends."
- James South, MA
That CoQ10 plays a crucial role in aging is beyond doubt. The same applies to CoQ10's role in the immune system. And there is a vital connection between the immune system and aging that cannot be ignored.
- Emile G. Bliznakov, MD
"CoQ10 is energy on call. I have long considered CoQ10 a wonder nutrient because of its ability to support heart health.
- Dr. Stephen Sinatra
Idebenone - An analogue of CoQ10 and a superb compliment to that remarkable nutrient, idebenone (eye-DEB-uh-known) has garnered superstar status as one of the most remarkable energy enhancing, cognitive enhancing, and potential anti-aging nutrients ever studied. Dr. Bill Misner explains: "Idebenone supplies all of the same benefits as CoQ10 - acting as a 'spark plug' for the production of energy (ATP) as well as being a potent antioxidant - plus some distinct advantages based on its more complex chemical structure."
These distinct advantages are especially true for brain health; "brain benefits" attributed to idebenone include improved cognition and mood, reduced damage from Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, and protection against damage caused by excitotoxins (a class of substances produced from the consumption of substances such as MSG and some artificial sweeteners), which can impair neuronal functioning.
The supporting cast
Vitamin E - A potent antioxidant that, along with CoQ10 and idebenone, helps neutralize free radicals naturally produced during energy production.
Oxy-AssistTM - A blend of Trimethylglycine (TMG) and Inosine that provide benefits for enhancing oxygen utilization, optimizing fat burning, increasing energy production, reducing fatigue, and buffering against acid build-up.
Krebs cycle intermediates - These are the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium chelated ("bonded") to the Krebs cycle intermediates malate, citrate, aspartate, lysinate, and glycinate, which are substrates involved in energy production. Alpha-ketoglutarate, another Krebs cycle intermediate, is included in the Race Caps Supreme formula as well.
Digestive aids - To maximize nutrient absorption, Race Caps Supreme contains a blend of digestive aids, headed up by the well-researched standardized black pepper extract, BioperineTM which has been shown to increase the absorption of important nutrients such as CoQ10 by over 30%.
Summary
No other athletic-specific supplement available delivers the range of benefits that Race Caps Supreme can; it continues to be the athlete's supplement of choice, withstanding the test of time in a market flooded with other products that overpromise but under-deliver. The nutrient blend in Race Caps Supreme aids both athletic performance enhancement AND overall health - a one-two punch formulated for hard-training athletes, but also highly beneficial for everyone.
