#FindFit – Urolithin A: The secret to muscle health & longevity?

Healthy muscles (and you’ll learn what “healthy muscle” actually means in today’s article) bring a plethora of benefits, such as accelerated fat loss, improved metabolic function, decreased frailty, a place to stock away extra glucose for when you need it most, and, importantly, a protective effect on your DNA.

While there are plenty of things you can do to look, perform, and feel your best both now and well into your senior years, building and maintaining muscle mass now may, in fact, be the quickest, most powerful strategy that you can implement.

That means diet and exercise, right? Certainly, but what if I told you there were even easier ways to build muscle? Exciting new research is revealing little-known nutrients that may contribute to this process in new and exciting ways. In particular, you’ll want to know about Urolithin A.

Urolithin A (UA) is one of these nutrients with a growing body of well-conducted research backing its credibility.

That’s why I asked Jen Scheinman, MS, LDN, CDN of Timeline to write this guest article on muscle health. Timeline is the global leader in Urolithin A research and the producer of Mitopure, a new supplement that delivers a highly pure form of Urolithin A, which you’ll soon learn plays a key role in maintaining healthy muscle.

Now, you might be thinking, “Urolithin A? I’ve never even heard of it.” And that’s precisely what makes this article so engaging and informative. Jen will break down the science behind Urolithin A, explaining what it is, how it’s created in your body, and its connection to muscle and mitochondrial health. Altogether, you’re about to get a crash course on one of the coolest pieces of new fringe health information on my radar.

Before taking a closer look at the science behind Urolithin A and muscle strength, it is important to have a basic understanding of this novel compound and its role in cellular health.

Urolithin A is a postbiotic, a natural substance that is produced in your body by your gut microbiome.

When you eat plant compounds called ellagitannins (found in pomegranates, berries, and some nuts) they can be converted into Urolithin A by bacteria in your gut, where it is then absorbed into your bloodstream and travels to the cells throughout your body.

Once inside the cell, Urolithin A targets the mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell. These organelles are responsible for creating roughly 90% of the energy you need to live. Over time, your mitochondria can become damaged and dysfunctional, and their ability to generate energy declines. It is theorized that this dysfunction is a key contributor to age-related disease.

Given the critical role mitochondria play in sustaining good health, your body has created a biological system where older, damaged mitochondria can be recycled into healthier, more efficient ones. Called mitophagy, this essential quality control process is where Urolithin A works its magic. Urolithin A has been shown to stimulate mitophagy, introducing a new way to address improved healthspan.

Muscle Health Depends On Mitochondrial Health

It should come as no surprise that energy-dependent tissue such as muscle has a high concentration of energy-generating mitochondria. In fact, a single skeletal muscle cell can have within it several thousand mitochondria. Studies have shown that the decline in mitochondrial function associated with age may be a key contributor to muscle health and performance.

Once the connection between muscle health and energy production is understood, identifying interventions that improve mitochondrial performance become important steps to prevent or, better yet, reverse age-related muscle decline; a huge win if you’re looking to live a longer and healthier life (and who isn’t?). The recent research behind Urolithin A suggests that a solution may not be so far off.