Besides exercise, there are currently no effective interventions to counteract age-associated muscle decline which can start happening as early as 40 years old. A study has revealed that daily intake of urolithin A improved muscle strength by a significant 12% after only 4 months.1✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100633
These results further confirm urolithin A’s benefits for mitochondrial and muscle health and demonstrate that it’s safe and well-tolerated. Urolithin A functions by supporting the ability of the cells to renew the powerplants of cells known as mitochondria throughout the process of getting older. Muscles demand a lot of energy and there is a huge amount of mitochondria in the cells of the muscle.
Earlier research revealed that urolithin A reduced inflammation and improved muscle endurance contributing to healthier mitochondrial function in older individuals between the ages of 65 and 90 years. This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved middle-aged participants between the ages of 40 and 64 years who were randomly allocated to daily supplementation for 4 months with either 500mg urolithin A, 1,000mg urolithin A or placebo.
Exercise performance tests, muscle strength, healthy mitochondrial function biomarkers, and inflammation in blood plasma and skeletal muscle biopsies were evaluated at the start of the study, and again at 2 and 4 months.
Two skeletal muscle strength measures were improved in the groups receiving the supplements in comparison to the group receiving the placebo. Muscle strength in the skeletal muscle of the hamstring was increased significantly in both the 500mg and 1,000mg dose groups. There was also a significant improvement in muscle strength during knee flexion in both the 500mg and 1,000mg dose groups.
Although not statistically significant, clinically significant improvements were seen in power output, physical performance, and aerobic endurance, in the 1,000mg dose group,
The biopsies and blood tests revealed a meaningful improvement in healthy mitochondrial function biomarkers and a reduction in inflammation.
These results demonstrate that mitochondria are repaired via mitophagy with urolithin A supplementation and can result in significant physiological benefits. Also, improvement in exercise performance and strength took place without any changes to the exercise routine of the individuals.
This is a significant discovery in research on muscle health and longevity. Aging is linked to mitochondrial function decline which can result in reduced strength, muscle endurance, and exercise capacity. Urolithin A is the only compound that’s been found to improve muscle function by mitochondria renewal through a powerful biological quality control process known as mitophagy. Urolithin A promotes healthy aging by activating this biological pathway and improving muscle health and performance.
Image Source – mitoq