Tier 2 — strong

Effect of Urolithin A Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Mitochondrial Health in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Liu S, D'Amico D, Shankland E, Bhayana S, Garcia JM, Aebischer P, Rinsch C, Singh A, Marcinek DJ
JAMA Network Open 2022 5(1):e2144279

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 35050355
PubMed Central
PMC8777576
DOI
10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.44279
Trial registry
View on ClinicalTrials.gov Registered trial — results not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Funding
The study involved Amazentis-affiliated investigators and the commercial Urolithin A research program.
Competing interests
D'Amico and Singh were Amazentis employees; Aebischer and Rinsch reported board/shareholder or founder roles and Urolithin A-related patents. Other investigators disclosed separate research relationships.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel clinical trial
ModelAdults aged 65-90 years
Sample66 randomized (33 Urolithin A, 33 placebo)
InterventionUrolithin A 1,000 mg/day versus placebo
Duration4 months
Endpoints6-minute walk distance; Maximal skeletal-muscle ATP production; Hand and leg muscle endurance; Plasma acylcarnitines, ceramides and CRP; Safety

What the study showed, in plain terms

In 66 older adults, four months of 1,000 mg/day Urolithin A did not significantly improve the trial's primary 6-minute-walk or muscle ATP-production outcomes versus placebo. It did improve selected muscle-endurance measures and several mitochondrial/inflammatory plasma biomarkers, with no significant adverse-event difference.

Key findings

Muscle endurance improved for hand and leg tests at selected time points.

The 6-minute-walk and maximal ATP-production primary outcomes were not significantly better than placebo.

Several acylcarnitines, ceramides and CRP moved favorably at four months.

No significant difference in adverse events was observed.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Primary functional/ATP outcomes were not statistically significant versus placebo.

Sample size was modest and the population was predominantly White women.

Several investigators had Amazentis affiliations or Urolithin A-related commercial interests.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology