Enhancing testosterone production in males is a continuous research direction for many scientists in the field, due to its role as a principal sex hormone and as a crucial modulator of well-being and general health in humans. Since 1978, there have been more than 30 studies that have connected coenzyme Q10 and testosterone. Such a link is attributable to the vigorous biological role of coenzyme Q10 as a crucial member in the energy production route in humans and animals, which is thought to have a positive influence on testosterone production, and hence on infertility, particularly male infertility. However, this connection has not yet been deliberated. The present work systematically reviews and summarizes the influence of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on testosterone. To accomplish this purpose, the Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched using the keywords "coenzyme Q10" versus "testosterone" for English language papers from November 1978 through October 2018. Relevant articles were also discussed and included to address an integral discussion. In summary, to date the studies conducted on human males reveal insignificant effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on testosterone. Similarly, rather than the reproductive toxicity studies, the studies conducted on animals did not show any positive influence of coenzyme Q10 on testosterone. However, coenzyme Q10 supplementation was found to ameliorate the reduction in testosterone induced by chemical reproductive toxicants, mainly by neutralizing the damaging effect of the generated free radicals. However, collectively these findings require further confirmation by additional research studies.
Keywords: antioxidant; coenzyme Q10; luteinizing hormone; oxidative stress; reproductive toxicity; testosterone.