Fatigue

Automated reading of the published studies (Decosa evidence engine), for outcomes Dr. Grey has not graded yet. It is not a Dr. Grey grade and does not change one. How it is read

• Coenzyme Q10: fatigue

  The studies disagree. The best available review (2025, 24 studies) did not settle it for fatigue, while 4 of the 7 studies read found an improvement. The evidence is very weak.

  7 studies counted of 9 read: 5 reviews and 2 trials (62 people in the trials).

  1. Meta-analysis, 2025; 24 studies; healthy adults: unclear: evidence too weak to tell (the review the verdict rests on). Evidence for reduced subjective fatigue was suggestive Coenzyme Q10 supplementation increases blood concentrations but shows limited and inconsistent effects on exercise performance: a systematic review and meta-analysisPubMed 41457257
  2. Meta-analysis, 2025; 5 studies, 474 people; patients with depression: unclear: evidence too weak to tell. No significant benefit was observed for fatigue Effects of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Depressive Symptoms and Fatigue: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled TrialsPubMed 41294251
  3. Systematic review, 2024; 20 studies, 483 people; patients with rheumatic diseases including fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and antiphospholipid syndrome: improves. patients observed improvements in pain, fatigue, sleep Coenzyme Q10 supplementation in rheumatic diseases: A systematic reviewPubMed 38220408
  4. Systematic review, 2022; 13 studies, 1,126 people: improves. statistically significant reduction in fatigue scores Effectiveness of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation for Reducing Fatigue: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled TrialsPubMed 36091835
  5. Systematic review, 2019; 16 studies; adolescents and adults with various conditions: improves. showed significant beneficial effects (p < 0.05) of CoQ10 supplementation on fatigue status Effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on fatigue: A systematic review of interventional studiesPubMed 30935528
  6. Randomised trial, 2016; 47 people; patients with multiple sclerosis: improves. significant decrease of FSS and BDI in CoQ10 group Coenzyme Q10 as a treatment for fatigue and depression in multiple sclerosis patients: A double blind randomized clinical trialPubMed 25603363
  7. Crossover trial, 2010; 15 people; healthy sedentary men: no clear difference. decreases did not differ from that seen with placebo The effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on performance during repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise in sedentary menPubMed 19644406

  Automated reading of the published studies (Decosa evidence engine), run 30 Sep 2026. It reads abstracts, can miss studies, and a repeat run can differ.

• Iron: fatigue

  Mixed or unclear: two readings of the studies disagreed. One reading found mixed results for fatigue, the other an improvement. The question is open.

  Side effects: 2 of the 3 studies that reported on them found more with Iron (gastrointestinal side effects, constipation).

  7 studies counted of 11 read: 5 reviews and 2 trials (119 people in the trials).

  1. Meta-analysis, 2019; 11 studies, 1,074 people; adults with non-anaemic iron deficiency: unclear: evidence too weak to tell (the review the verdict rests on). Intravenous iron therapy for non-anaemic, iron-deficient adultsPubMed 31860749
  2. Meta-analysis, 2025; 18 studies, 1,408 people; non-anemic children, adolescents, and menstruating adults: improves. supplementation improved symptoms of anxiety (d = 0.34), fatigue (d = 0.34) Psychiatric and cognitive outcomes of iron supplementation in non-anemic children, adolescents, and menstruating adults: A meta-analysis and systematic reviewPubMed 40945632
  3. Meta-analysis, 2017; 6 studies; patients with iron deficiency without anaemia: improves. significant therapeutic effect of Fe in fatigue Iron deficiency without anaemia is a potential cause of fatigue: meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials and cross-sectional studiesPubMed 28625177
  4. Meta-analysis, 2016; 67 studies, 8,506 people; menstruating women: improves. Iron supplementation improved maximal and submaximal exercise performance, and appears to reduce symptomatic fatigue. Daily iron supplementation for improving anaemia, iron status and health in menstruating womenPubMed 27087396
  5. Meta-analysis, 2016; 21 studies; people with non-anaemic iron deficiency: improves. improvement in objective scores (P = 0.005) and self-rating (P = 0.03) of fatigue Non-anaemic iron deficiency - a disease looking for recognition of diagnosis: a systematic reviewPubMed 26256281
  6. Randomised trial, 2025; 26 people; iron-deficient recreationally active females of reproductive age: improves. Fatigue scores improved in IRON but not PLA Effect of intravenous iron therapy on exercise performance, fatigue scores and mood states in iron-deficient recreationally active females of reproductive age: a double-blind, randomised control trial (IRONWOMAN Trial)PubMed 40032294
  7. Randomised trial, 2023; 93 people; healthy non-anemic male and female athletes: improves. significant reduction in tired feeling/exhaustion after the exercise Influence of iron supplementation on fatigue, mood states and sweating profiles of healthy non-anemic athletes during a training exercise: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group studyPubMed 36817736

  Automated reading of the published studies (Decosa evidence engine), run 30 Sep 2026. It reads abstracts, can miss studies, and a repeat run can differ.

• Magnesium: fatigue

  The studies read are too weak to tell whether Magnesium changes fatigue. They lean toward an improvement, which is not enough to claim one. The evidence is very weak.

  3 studies counted of 11 read: 3 trials (111 people in the trials).

  1. Randomised trial, 2025; 30 people; adults with hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia: improves. Effects of deep ocean-derived magnesium-enhanced water on metabolic diseases with microbiome changesPubMed 39947040
  2. Randomised trial, 2012; 49 people; patients undergoing open colonic resection: no clear difference. pain, fatigue and mobilization were similar in the groups Effect of the laxative magnesium oxide on gastrointestinal functional recovery in fast-track colonic resection: a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized studyPubMed 21883811
  3. Randomised trial, 1991; 32 people; patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: improves. 12 of the 15 treated patients said that they had benefited Red blood cell magnesium and chronic fatigue syndromePubMed 1672392

  Automated reading of the published studies (Decosa evidence engine), run 30 Sep 2026. It reads abstracts, can miss studies, and a repeat run can differ.

• Multivitamin: fatigue

  The studies disagree. The best available review (2013, 20 studies) found little or no difference in fatigue, while 2 of the 4 studies read found an improvement. The evidence is very weak.

  4 studies counted of 10 read: 2 reviews and 2 trials (54 people in the trials).

  1. Systematic review, 2013; 20 studies; cancer patients undergoing treatment: no clear difference (the review the verdict rests on). multivitamins are ineffective at reducing cancer-related fatigue A systematic review of complementary and alternative medicine interventions for the management of cancer-related fatiguePubMed 23632236
  2. Meta-analysis, 2013; 8 studies; nonclinical samples: improves. Fatigue (SMD=0.27; 95% CI=0.40-0.146; p<.001) and confusion (SMD=0.225; 95% CI=0.38-0.07; p<.003) were also reduced. Effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation on stress, mild psychiatric symptoms, and mood in nonclinical samples: a meta-analysisPubMed 23362497
  3. Crossover trial, 2007; 40 people; breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy: no clear difference. No significant changes were elicited with the use of multivitamins Multivitamins do not improve radiation therapy-related fatigue: results of a double-blind randomized crossover trialPubMed 17762445
  4. Crossover trial, 2006; 14 people; resistance-trained men: improves. decreased rate of fatigue was noted Effect of a liquid multivitamin/mineral supplement on anaerobic exercise performancePubMed 16700404

  Automated reading of the published studies (Decosa evidence engine), run 30 Sep 2026. It reads abstracts, can miss studies, and a repeat run can differ.

• Rhodiola Rosea: fatigue

  The studies read are too weak to tell whether Rhodiola Rosea changes fatigue. The strongest review read studied healthy and clinical populations with fatigue. The evidence is very weak.

  Possible harm: 1 study read reported a worse result for fatigue with Rhodiola Rosea. One abstract says: "The mean change in scores on the Vitality-subscale was significantly different between the study groups at day 42 in favor of placebo" Check the studies below, and ask a doctor or pharmacist if this applies to you.

  6 studies counted of 10 read: 1 review and 5 trials (113 people in the trials).

  1. Systematic review, 2012; 11 studies; healthy and clinical populations with fatigue: unclear: evidence too weak to tell (the review the verdict rests on). Research regarding R. rosea efficacy is contradictory Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: a systematic reviewPubMed 22643043
  2. Randomised trial, 2026; 24 people; male competitive football players: improves. faster reaction time (p = 0.042) and higher decision accuracy Effects of Rhodiola rosea on Physical and Decision-Making Performance in Football Players: A Randomised Controlled TrialPubMed 41829897
  3. Crossover trial, 2019; 11 people; physically active college aged females: no clear difference. mean fatigue index (p = 0.094, ES = 0.39) was unaffected Effects of short-term Rhodiola Rosea (Golden Root Extract) supplementation on anaerobic exercise performancePubMed 30371146
  4. Randomised trial, 2014; 48 people; nursing students on shift work: worsens. significantly different between the study groups at day 42 in favor of placebo Rhodiola rosea for mental and physical fatigue in nursing students: a randomized controlled trialPubMed 25268730
  5. Randomised trial, 2009; 30 people: improves. significant decrease (p = 0.049) concerning the experienced level of fatigue The influence of adaptogens on ultraweak biophoton emission: a pilot-experimentPubMed 19170145
  6. Randomised trial, 2000; foreign students during a stressful examination period: improves. improvement in the SHR-5 group was seen in physical fitness, mental fatigue A double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of the stimulating and adaptogenic effect of Rhodiola rosea SHR-5 extract on the fatigue of students caused by stress during an examination period with a repeated low-dose regimenPubMed 10839209

  Automated reading of the published studies (Decosa evidence engine), run 30 Sep 2026. It reads abstracts, can miss studies, and a repeat run can differ.

• Vitamin B12: fatigue

  The studies read are too weak to tell whether Vitamin B12 changes fatigue. The evidence is very weak.

  1 study counted of 11 read: 1 trial (15 people in the trials).

  1. Crossover trial, 1989; 15 people; patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: no clear difference. no significant difference was apparent between response to placebo Liver extract-folic acid-cyanocobalamin vs placebo for chronic fatigue syndromePubMed 2684076

  Automated reading of the published studies (Decosa evidence engine), run 30 Sep 2026. It reads abstracts, can miss studies, and a repeat run can differ.

• Vitamin C: fatigue

  The studies disagree. A Cochrane review (2014, 3 studies, 530 people) found little or no difference in fatigue, while 3 of the 5 studies read found an improvement. The evidence is very weak.

  Side effects: 1 of the 4 studies that reported on them found more with Vitamin C (gastrointestinal side effects).

  5 studies counted of 11 read: 3 reviews and 1 trial (36 people in the trials).

  1. Meta-analysis, 2014; 3 studies, 530 people; adults with peripheral neuropathy: no clear difference (the review the verdict rests on). effects of ascorbic acid at either dose are probably small Interventions for fatigue in peripheral neuropathyPubMed 25519471
  2. Systematic review, 2021; 9 studies, 720 people; patients with fatigue from various diseases: improves. significant decrease in fatigue scores in the vitamin C group Feasibility of Vitamin C in the Treatment of Post Viral Fatigue with Focus on Long COVID, Based on a Systematic Review of IV Vitamin C on FatiguePubMed 33807280
  3. Systematic review, 2014; 37 studies: improves. Intravenous Vitamin C and Cancer: A Systematic ReviewPubMed 24867961
  4. Crossover trial, 2020; 36 people; volunteers with low vitamin C or glutathione levels: no clear difference. but not after vitamin C treatment Antioxidant supplementation, redox deficiencies and exercise performance: A falsification designPubMed 32682929
  5. Study, 2019; 47 people; patients undergoing alcohol detoxification: improves. 89% of the patients reported a decrease of tiredness Alcohol Withdrawal: Possible Risk of Latent Scurvy Appearing as Tiredness: A STROBE-Compliant StudyPubMed 30627275

  Automated reading of the published studies (Decosa evidence engine), run 30 Sep 2026. It reads abstracts, can miss studies, and a repeat run can differ.