Does CoQ10 raise testosterone? What the research does and doesn't show

The evidence doesn't support CoQ10 as a way to raise testosterone. In the one placebo-controlled trial we read that reported it, 100 mg a day for 12 weeks in 60 infertile men, testosterone was not significantly different from placebo. In women with PCOS, a pooled analysis reported lower testosterone, which is a different question.

What the evidence doesn't support

It doesn't support CoQ10 as a testosterone booster, a libido aid or a treatment for erectile problems or infertility. It doesn't show that sperm count, motility or morphology improve in men without a fertility problem: the trials studied infertile men. It doesn't give a dose. And it doesn't show that higher testosterone would follow from any improvement in sperm measures; the trials measured those separately.

What the trials found

Testosterone and sexual function, 100 mg. A randomised placebo-controlled trial of 100 mg a day for 12 weeks in 60 infertile men (30 per group, mean age about 34) measured testosterone, FSH, LH and prolactin, and used a validated questionnaire for erectile function. Normal sperm morphology improved significantly (p = 0.01). Testosterone and FSH were higher in the CoQ10 group than in the placebo group, but the differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.61 and 0.58), and erectile function and orgasm scores did not differ significantly (p = 0.95 and 0.82). The authors called the result not conclusive (Gharakhani Bahar 2023).

Sperm measures, pooled. A 2013 meta-analysis of three trials (296 infertile men) found higher sperm concentration and motility with CoQ10 and no increase in pregnancy rates (Lafuente 2013). A 2025 meta-analysis of nine trials (781 men with unexplained infertility) found higher sperm concentration and motility and higher odds of clinical pregnancy (odds ratio 6.02, 95% CI 1.97 to 18.41, a very wide interval) (Bakri 2025). See CoQ10 for men for the details.

Women with PCOS. A 2023 meta-analysis of nine trials (1,021 women) reported lower testosterone (SMD -0.28, 95% CI -0.49 to -0.06). That is women with a hormonal condition, where lower testosterone was the reported direction, and the abstract states no dose (Zhang 2023).

Questions people ask

Does CoQ10 increase testosterone?

Not shown. The one trial we read that reported the result found a numerical rise that was not significant, in 60 men, with the authors calling it not conclusive.

Does CoQ10 help sperm count, motility or morphology, and is it good for sperm health?

In infertile men, pooled trials reported better concentration and motility, and one trial reported better morphology. These are results in men with fertility problems; see CoQ10 for men.

Does CoQ10 help infertility?

Whether better sperm measures lead to pregnancy is disputed: one meta-analysis found no increase in pregnancy rates and another found higher odds with a very wide interval. A supplement is not a fertility treatment, and a couple trying to conceive should see a clinician.

Does CoQ10 help libido or erectile dysfunction?

The only trial we read that measured erectile function and orgasm scores found no significant change. It was small (60 men) and short (12 weeks).

When to talk to a doctor

Low libido, erectile problems, fatigue with low mood, or difficulty conceiving can have many causes, some of them treatable, and a blood test is how testosterone is measured. CoQ10 is not a treatment for any of them. If you take prescription medicine, especially a blood thinner, ask your prescriber before adding a supplement.

Related reading: CoQ10 for men, CoQ10 for women, CoQ10 dosage.