Ironman champion Dr Hannah Wells supercharges her mitochondria with MitoQ.
We think about our health every day, but how often do we really consider our cellular health? We should, because our cells have great power… and with great power, comes great responsibility. Our cells house mitochondria, tiny organelles that pack a big punch, turning glucose and oxygen into chemical energy in the form of ATP.
We use energy to stay alive and grow, but also to repair, a process that demands more energy the older we get. Unfortunately, our mitochondria can decline as we age, with both their function becoming less efficient and the rate at which our bodies recycle and replace them diminishing. Damaged mitochondrial DNA can amplify oxidative stress, leading to a vicious cycle that eventually ends in cell death.
Longevity.Technology: Keeping 37 trillion cells in tip-top condition is an enormous undertaking; our cells are under continual pressure from aging, damage, toxins and pathogens, and when we push ourselves to extremes, we dial that pressure up to 11. MitoQ is a world-first antioxidant molecule [1] that targets mitochondria to directly combat cell stress and help to boost energy and maximise recovery and we were thrilled to sit down with professional athlete and all-round marvel Hannah Wells, who as well as being a New Zealand Ironman champion and full-time triathlete, holds a PhD in biotech engineering to find out why supplementing with MitoQ has meant for her endeavours.
Click here to learn how MitoQ reduces cellular stress and enhances your energy.
Muscles lose mass and function with age; combating this decline is essential, not only for elite athletes striving to maintain performance, but for anyone worried about staying fit and healthy and combating issues such as sarcopenia and frailty that we may face later in life. Aging is also associated with a decline in motor function; a 2018 study looking at MitoQ found it improves leg-extension power and the data gathered suggested greater improvements in leg-extension power in individuals with lower baseline function [2].
The authors concluded: “Collectively, these data indicate that MitoQ and other therapeutic strategies targeting mtROS may hold promise for improving motor function and reducing the risk of clinical disability with aging [2].
A supplement backed by science
Wells first heard of MitoQ from her coach, Bevan Mckinnon.
“As an athlete, I’m putting my body through a huge amount of stress every day, so he suggested I look into MitoQ to not only help support training and recovery for sport performance, but also for long-term health and wellbeing.”
Wells dived into the research and was impressed by the level of scientific support and evidence for taking MitoQ, which includes many clinical trials and published scientific studies.
The science behind MitoQ is impressive; a recent University of Auckland study showed MitoQ significantly increased power outputs in untrained middle-aged men compared with controls, following three weeks of HIIT workouts [3]. The study authors concluded that: “MitoQ supplementation may be an effective nutritional strategy to attenuate exercise-induced increases in oxidative damage to lipids and improve cycling performance.” While this is great news for triathletes, who cycle for more than seven hours, clocking up 112 miles, it’s also encouraging for those of us with less ambitious, but equally healthspan-conscious targets.
“I started taking MitoQ at the beginning of my NZ Ironman build last year and, after noticing an improvement in my energy levels and recovery time, I haven’t looked back,” she says.
Wells kicks off her morning routine with MitoQ, taking it with a glass of water before her coffee and breakfast (and of course, doing anything pre-coffee only adds to her admirability). Since Dr Wells began taking MitoQ in 2020, she has noticed that it supports her energy levels and training sessions.
Energise your every day and reduce cell stress with MitoQ. Click here to learn how MitoQ has helped Dr Hannah Wells.
“As a professional athlete who is passionate about health and wellbeing, my purpose is not only to perform well at my sport but to encourage others to lead healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives,” she says.
“MitoQ is a product that helps to power this purpose by supporting my energy levels in everyday life and training so I am able to do this. I have noticed a difference in how I feel since starting to take it and I couldn’t recommend it more as a tool to help support busy lives.”
Boosting recovery and training volume
But it’s not just Wells’ energy levels that have been boosted by her daily MitoQ routine.
“I’ve noticed I am able to recover from training sessions much sooner than previously and, as a result, my training volume has been able to increase significantly,” she explains. “Earlier in career, I struggled to put together consecutive weeks of training over 21 hours, but since taking MitoQ, I am stringing together multiple weeks of over 25 hours.
“This is going to be hugely beneficial for my racing to come and I am excited to see what the future holds. In addition to that, I have noticed just a general improvement of everyday energy levels, which makes for a much happier me!”
Energy is important, but for a triathlete like Wells, so is endurance. Since taking MitoQ every morning, the biggest change she says she’s noticed is having more energy for her second and third sessions of the day.
“I have felt as though my ability to back up training sessions and big days has improved a lot, and I do believe that is due to an improvement in mitochondrial health thanks to the cell health technology of MitoQ,” she says. “MitoQ is able to help reduce free radical damage in our cells by supporting and boosting our mitochondria, and since mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells, the better mitochondrial health we have, the better we can perform on a regular basis. And this is why I believe MitoQ has been so beneficial in my training.”
Scientist & athlete: a combined perspective
Hannah Wells has a unique position as a biotech PhD and an elite athlete who is upleveling her performance with MitoQ and this gives her an interesting perspective.
“I believe my background as a PhD gives me a huge advantage in terms of being able to understand the science and technology behind products,” she explains. “I love being able to do my own research and reading into products that come onto the market, and this is how I came across MitoQ and became so interested in the wealth of research it has behind it. The science behind the MitoQ molecule is fascinating and I encourage others to look into the product as well.”
Wells’ anecdotal evidence is compelling, as is that of many other MitoQ-sponsored athletes winning major medals and podium places in disciplines as diverse as cycling, obstacle course racing and kayaking. But the research is equally convincing; scientists are increasingly putting MitoQ to the test in clinical trials, and discovering amazing results.
A 2021 clinical trial found that taking MitoQ helped cyclists complete an 8k time trial faster than those on the placebo, while also mitigating exercise-induced increases in oxidative stress [4]. A 2022 trial found that MitoQ significantly increased power outputs in untrained middle-aged men compared to controls, following three weeks of HIIT workouts. Participants had higher increases in peak power, measured by a VO2peak test and a cycling time trial [5].
The benefit to beginners
While Dr Wells is an established, successful athlete, she also feels people interested in everyday fitness, or who are at the beginning of their fitness journey, would also find MitoQ beneficial.
“MitoQ is a product that can benefit anyone, from those leading busy working lives to others wanting to get the most out of themselves as athletes or improve their quality of life,” she says.
“The mitochondria within our cells provide the energy we need to perform exercise, as well as for everyday life activities and functions, so supporting our mitochondria by taking MitoQ will give us more energy and help us recover faster after exercise and in our busy lives. For me, it is a no brainer to take MitoQ if you want to get the most out of yourself in training and life in general.”
Uniquely powerful, next generation molecule that revitalizes (almost) every cell in your body. Click here to learn more about MitoQ.
Wells’ desire to truly see how far she can go in the sport shines out; hopefully with MitoQ she’ll continue to burn bright, but recover fast.
As a different Iron Man in a certain film franchise said: “Give me a couple boxes of that. I’ll be right as rain.”
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19235604/
[2] https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.lb852
[3] https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-021-00454-0
[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231722001136?via%3Dihub
[5] https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-021-00454-0
The information included in this article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this webpage is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
