There’s no shortage of supplements promising to help us age better—and urolithin A is the latest to pop onto everyone’s social feeds. There’s growing buzz around its potential benefits for everything from cellular energy and muscle health to endurance and recovery, so it’s not hard to understand the appeal. Most of us would gladly accept a little extra help with staying strong, energetic, and resilient as we get older. But it’s also fair to wonder: Is urolithin A supplementation truly effective? 

Ahead, experts explain what the science shows so far, who may benefit most, and what to know before adding urolithin A to your routine.

• ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Jerry Bailey, D.C., L.Ac., is a certified nutritionist, acupuncturist, chiropractor, and functional medicine physician with Lakeside Holistic Health. William Li, M.D., is a physician, scientist, and author of Eat to Beat Your Diet. Farhan Abdullah, M.D., is a board-certified internist and medical director of Magnolia Functional Wellness.

What Is Urolithin A?

Urolithin A has an interesting backstory. Unlike many supplement ingredients, it isn’t something you’ll find inside a fruit or food. Instead, your gut bacteria produce urolithin A after breaking down compounds found in pomegranates, berries, and walnuts, explains Jerry Bailey, D.C., L.Ac., a certified nutritionist, acupuncturist, chiropractor, and functional medicine physician with Lakeside Holistic Health. 

The catch? Not everyone actually has the right mix of gut bacteria to make much of it. Two people could eat the exact same bowl of berries and wind up producing very different amounts. A supplement skips the bacterial production step by supplying the urolithin A itself, which the body can then absorb. Once in the body, urolithin A may support something called mitophagy, the process your cells use to clear away damaged mitochondria, explains William Li, M.D., physician, scientist, and author of Eat to Beat Your Diet.

What Does Urolithin A Actually Do for Your Mitochondria?

Mitochondria are the tiny structures inside your cells that help turn food and oxygen into usable energy. They can become damaged and less efficient as we age, which is where mitophagy comes in. “Mitophagy is a ‘housekeeping’ process whereby the body can clear out old and damaged mitochondria,” explains Bailey. “Clearing out that worn-down cellular machinery helps make room for healthier mitochondria and may allow cells to produce and use energy more efficiently.”

Li likens the process to quality control on a factory floor. “Broken-down equipment is removed before it starts taking up space, producing excess oxidative stress, or interfering with the machinery that still works properly,” he says. 

Read More: Oxidative Stress: What It Is, Why It Happens, And How To Fight It

This cleanup process becomes less efficient as we age. As a result, we can end up with less energy, weaker muscles, and a dip in physical performance, explains Farhan Abdullah, M.D., board-certified internist and medical director of Magnolia Functional Wellness.

Most of the evidence that urolithin A helps kick-start mitophagy comes from lab and animal studies. Human research is a bit less direct, but one small trial found that taking it for four weeks changed the activity of certain genes involved in mitochondrial health, along with blood markers tied to how the body turns fat into energy.

What Does Human Research Show?

Though studies have been conducted to see how urolithin A affects humans’ longevity, the body of research is fairly small. A 2024 review of the human evidence found only five studies, involving a total of 250 healthy adults, and none lasted longer than four months. So yes, the early findings are interesting, but there are still some unanswered questions about long-term use and what larger studies may find.

Here’s what the human research suggests so far.

It May Impact Age-Related Health Concerns

A 2023 review published in Cureus initially identified 293 papers and ultimately included 15 studies involving people or human cells. Across them, researchers found early signs that urolithin A may impact things like oxidative stress and age-related muscle loss. It also examined its possible relevance to neurodegenerative, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, skin, and cancer-related conditions. 

The longevity case itself still leans heavily on preclinical research. A 2016 study published in Nature Medicine found that urolithin A extended lifespan in C. elegans (a tiny worm often used in aging research) and improved muscle function in rodents, points out Bailey. “Those results gave scientists a good reason to keep studying the compound, but worms and mice are obviously not people,” he says.

It May Help Your Muscles Resist Fatigue

The most encouraging research so far has to do with muscle function, especially in middle-aged and older adults.

In one 2022 study on 66 adults ages 65-90, participants took either 1,000 milligrams (mg) of urolithin A or a placebo every day for four months. By the end of the study, those taking urolithin A could perform more repeated hand and leg muscle contractions before tiring out. On the other hand, the supplement didn’t significantly increase the maximum amount of cellular energy their hand muscles could produce, explains Bailey.

Another 2022 trial involving 88 sedentary middle-aged adults found that four months of supplementation improved certain measures of leg strength, especially hamstring strength. People in a higher-dose group also showed positive changes in aerobic fitness and walking distance.

It May Boost the Body’s Energy Systems

Researchers have also found signs that urolithin A works behind the scenes inside our cells. In a 2019 human trial, older adults who took urolithin A for four weeks showed genetic changes connected to mitochondrial health. Researchers also saw changes in acylcarnitines, compounds involved in moving and processing fat so it can be used for energy.

This all supports the idea that urolithin A could affect the systems our cells use to produce and manage energy. Then again, a change in a lab marker doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll wake up feeling more energized, notes Bailey.

It May Support Workout Recovery 

It’s a bit too early to call urolithin A a proven workout recovery supplement. All told, Abdullah says there’s limited scientific evidence of its efficacy as an exercise recovery tool in active people. But some human evidence points to its potential.

A small 2024 study published in the Journal of International the Society of Sports Nutrition on resistance-trained men found that eight weeks of supplementation improved certain tests of muscle endurance and isometric strength. Other measures of strength and recovery weren’t quite as promising. Supplementation didn’t lead to a statistically significant improvement in the amount of weight participants could bench-press or squat for one repetition.

Another study, this one in highly trained male distance runners, found that urolithin A lowered certain markers associated with muscle damage and made a 3,000-meter run feel less difficult (though it didn’t help the runners complete the race faster).

Why would recovery matter for longevity? Bouncing back from exercise may make it easier to keep moving and training consistently, explains Bailey, while maintaining muscle strength and physical function can help people preserve their independence as they age.  

Read More: Which Exercise Recovery Trends Are Actually Worth Your Time?

Who Might Benefit Most From Urolithin A?

Based on the research so far, the best candidates may be middle-aged and older adults beginning to notice declines in muscle endurance, strength, or overall energy, according to Li. That’s also the population on which nearly all human research has focused.

The case is less clear for younger adults, competitive athletes, and people who already exercise regularly. A couple of small studies have looked at urolithin A in resistance-trained men and highly trained runners. But, in these groups, we still don’t know whether it adds much to longevity beyond the basics like training, enough food and protein, good sleep, and recovery.

What Should You Look for in a Urolithin A Supplement?

Most human trials have used 500-1,000 mg of urolithin A per day, according to Bailey. That doesn’t automatically make 500 mg a recommended starting dose, however—it just reflects the amount researchers have actually studied. Since there’s no official established dose, it’s a good idea to talk to a healthcare professional about whether urolithin A is right for you and how much they recommend for you personally. 

Look for a product that clearly states how much urolithin A it contains. (Proprietary “mitochondrial” or “healthy-aging” blends can hide true dosages.) Another key distinction: “‘Pomegranate extract’ is not the same thing as urolithin A because it still requires your gut bacteria to complete the conversion,” Bailey says. And third-party certification is especially important, both for quality assurance and for competitive athletes who need screening for banned substances.

The Bottom Line 

Urolithin A is definitely one of the more interesting ingredients in the healthy aging space. Early human research does suggest potential benefits for chronic disease prevention, muscle endurance, and cellular energy, especially in middle-aged and older adults.

Still, the research is relatively new and has some limitations. “The studies are still fairly small, several were funded or run in connection with the company developing the branded ingredient, and most lasted only weeks to a few months,” says Bailey. “None of that invalidates the findings, but it does mean they need to be confirmed by larger and more independent work.”

For now, Bailey recommends using urolithin A to support muscle and mitochondrial health as you age, and to make sure you’re incorporating strength training, adequate protein, restorative sleep, and regular movement into your day-to-day.