Urolithin A is a compound gut bacteria make from substances in pomegranates, walnuts, and berries, but production varies widely between people. Researchers tested whether taking a standardized dose directly, instead of relying on gut bacteria, could improve muscle performance in older adults.
In a four-month randomized, placebo-controlled trial of adults aged 65 to 90, those taking urolithin A improved a measure of muscle fatigue resistance in a hand and a leg muscle significantly more than placebo, even though the main measures, walking distance and muscle energy output, did not differ.
The compound appears to help cells clear and replace damaged mitochondria, the structures that supply muscle with energy, a process called mitophagy that slows with age. The trial measured endurance, not strength or size, and ran for four months in a relatively small group, so whether the benefit holds over years is still unknown.
Read the original study
Liu et al., JAMA Network Open, 2022 · doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.44279
Tired mitochondria, cleared out and renewed.
Source
- Liu, S., D'Amico, D., Shankland, E., Bhayana, S., Garcia, J. M., Aebischer, P., Rinsch, C., Singh, A., & Marcinek, D. J. (2022). Effect of Urolithin A Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Mitochondrial Health in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open, 5(1), e2144279. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.44279