Morris, Gerwyn, Anderson, George, Berk, Michael et al. · Molecular neurobiology · 2013 · DOI
This review examines how a natural substance called Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) helps cells produce energy and protect themselves from damage. The authors found that low levels of CoQ10 may contribute to ME/CFS and similar conditions that cause fatigue and exhaustion. Studies suggest that taking CoQ10 supplements might help reduce fatigue and improve exercise tolerance in people with ME/CFS, similar to benefits seen in patients with Parkinson's disease and fibromyalgia.
ME/CFS is characterized by post-exertional malaise and profound fatigue linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and energy metabolism impairment. This review identifies a testable biological mechanism—CoQ10 depletion—that could explain core ME/CFS pathophysiology and proposes a potentially safe, tolerable intervention with preliminary evidence of benefit for fatigue and exercise intolerance.
This review does not establish that CoQ10 depletion causes ME/CFS, nor does it provide definitive clinical trial evidence that supplementation is effective in ME/CFS specifically. The study cannot determine whether observed CoQ10 depletion is primary pathology or secondary to disease processes, and clinical recommendations would require rigorous randomized controlled trials tailored to ME/CFS populations.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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Primary citation
Morris, Gerwyn, Anderson, George, Berk, Michael, & Maes, Michael (2013). Coenzyme Q10 depletion in medical and neuropsychiatric disorders: potential repercussions and therapeutic implications.. Molecular neurobiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-013-8477-8
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-morris-2013-coenzyme-q10,
author = {Morris, Gerwyn and Anderson, George and Berk, Michael and Maes, Michael},
title = {Coenzyme Q10 depletion in medical and neuropsychiatric disorders: potential repercussions and therapeutic implications.},
journal = {Molecular neurobiology},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1007/s12035-013-8477-8},
note = {PubMed: 23761046},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/morris-2013-coenzyme-q10},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/morris-2013-coenzyme-q10
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