Study
Effects of Urolithin A supplementation on muscle health outcomes in humans from randomized controlled trials
Meta-analysis of 5 RCTs (n=236) found urolithin A supplementation improved 6-minute walk test distance but muscle strength and other outcomes were mixed.
Summary Can urolithin A supplements improve muscle health and physical ability? Show / hide ↓
Researchers combined results from 5 randomized controlled trials, meaning studies that assigned people to urolithin A or a comparison treatment by chance. The studies included 236 adults and tested muscle-related outcomes. People taking urolithin A improved their distance on the 6-minute walk test, a simple measure of how far someone can walk in six minutes. Results for muscle strength and other measures were mixed, and the studies were too different to combine reliably.
What this means for you: Urolithin A may modestly improve walking ability, but this does not yet show that it builds strength or meaningfully slows aging. The small number of participants and mixed results make it too early to buy it specifically for muscle benefits.
early evidenceThis systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 5 randomized controlled trials (total n=236 participants) examining urolithin A supplementation and muscle health outcomes. The review was registered with PROSPERO and used Cochrane RoB 2 for risk of bias and GRADE for certainty. Quantitative meta-analysis was possible only for the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). The review synthesizes all available human RCT evidence on urolithin A for muscle outcomes through December 2025. While some improvements were seen in functional capacity (6MWT), other muscle outcomes were synthesized narratively due to heterogeneity. This meta-analysis strengthens the evidence base for urolithin A as a mitochondrial health supplement with functional benefits, though the small total sample size (236) and heterogeneity of outcomes limit strong conclusions.
Urolithin A supplementation showed improvement in 6-minute walk test distance, with other muscle outcomes showing mixed results.
Small total sample size (236 across 5 trials). Only 6MWT could be quantitatively synthesized. Heterogeneity in dosing and outcomes across trials. GRADE certainty was not stated in the abstract.
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