Grandparents Wanting Energy

Reviewed by SOMA HEALTH's Medical Research Team

The moments that matter with grandchildren rarely happen sitting down. They happen on the floor, in the yard, on the walk to the park, at the bottom of the slide. Staying in those moments takes energy and strength that come from a place most people never think about: the mitochondria inside your cells. This guide explains what urolithin A is, what the human research actually shows, where the evidence is still early, and how active grandparents can think about it honestly.

Why energy and strength shift with age

Two changes tend to arrive quietly with the decades. The first is a gradual decline in muscle mass and strength; researchers often describe adults losing a few percent of muscle per decade beginning in our thirties, with the pace tending to accelerate later in life. The second is less visible but just as important: mitochondria, the tiny structures that turn food and oxygen into usable cellular energy, tend to become less efficient over time, and the body's housekeeping systems that clear out worn mitochondria slow down. Together these shifts can show up as the sense that keeping up simply takes more effort than it used to.

None of this is a disease, and none of it is inevitable in the same way for everyone. Regular movement, resistance exercise, adequate protein and good sleep remain the foundation of staying capable at any age. The interesting question is whether a specific gut-derived compound can support the cellular machinery underneath all of that.

What urolithin A actually is

Urolithin A is a postbiotic: a compound your gut bacteria produce when they break down ellagitannins, the natural polyphenols found in pomegranates, walnuts and certain berries. Here is the catch that surprises most people. Eating those foods does not reliably give you urolithin A, because only some people carry the specific gut microbes needed to make the conversion. Estimates suggest a meaningful share of adults produce little or none on their own, which is a large part of why a standardized supplement exists at all.

Its most studied mechanism is mitophagy — the cellular recycling process that identifies worn-out mitochondria and clears them so healthier ones can take their place. Think of it as quality control for your cellular power plants. By supporting this housekeeping, urolithin A is being studied for its role in mitochondrial health, which sits upstream of both muscle function and everyday energy.

The strongest human evidence

This is where honesty matters, so we separate what has been tested in people from what has only been seen in cells or animals.

Safety and the first-in-human work (human)

The first-in-human trial, published by Andreux and colleagues in Nature Metabolism in 2019, found urolithin A was safe and well tolerated at doses up to 1,000 mg per day, and that it produced a measurable mitochondrial gene-expression signature in participants. That established both a safety envelope and a plausible biological footprint.

Muscle strength and performance (human)

Singh and colleagues (Cell Reports Medicine, 2022) studied middle-aged adults over four months using 500 mg and 1,000 mg daily arms, reporting benefits for muscle strength and exercise performance. A separate randomized trial by Liu, D'Amico and colleagues in JAMA Network Open (2022) looked at older adults over roughly four months and reported improvements in muscle endurance. For grandparents specifically, muscle endurance and strength are the qualities that translate into carrying, lifting, and simply lasting through an afternoon.

Newer human research

More recent human work has widened the picture. A 2025 randomized controlled trial in Nature Aging (roughly 28 days) reported that urolithin A supported the mitochondrial health of immune cells in midlife adults, a line of research connected to the low-grade inflammation sometimes called inflammaging. A 2024 eight-week randomized trial published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition examined resistance-trained men, and a 2025 trial in distance runners extended the work into endurance athletes. These are encouraging, but they are still relatively short and involve specific populations.

A 2024 systematic review in Ageing Research Reviews, titled 'Targeting aging with urolithin A in humans,' summarized the field candidly: the human evidence is still emerging. We think that is the right frame. The signals are consistent and the safety record is reassuring, but this is a maturing body of research, not a settled one.

What preclinical research is exploring

A great deal of the excitement around urolithin A began in the laboratory, and it is important to label that work clearly as preclinical — meaning cells and animals, not people. Ryu and colleagues (Nature Medicine, 2016) showed that urolithin A induced mitophagy, extended lifespan in the worm C. elegans, and improved muscle measures in rodents. D'Amico and colleagues (Aging Cell, 2022) reported joint and cartilage benefits in osteoarthritis models. Additional early or preclinical research is exploring skin, gut, brain and heart pathways. These findings help explain why scientists are interested, but they should not be read as proven human outcomes.

Practical guidance for active grandparents

The human trials that showed muscle benefits used 500 to 1,000 mg per day, with 1,000 mg at the top of the studied range. SOMA HEALTH Urolithin A Gummies are built around that 1,000 mg daily serving. A few practical notes:

Pair it with movement

Urolithin A supports the cellular side of strength, but the trials layered it on top of normal activity. The biggest wins for staying active with grandkids still come from regular walking and some form of resistance training — even resistance bands or bodyweight squats a few times a week. Enough protein across the day helps too. For more on this pairing, see our note on urolithin A for muscle.

Be patient and consistent

The muscle studies ran for about four months. This is a daily-habit compound, not a same-day pick-me-up, so consistency matters more than timing. Learn more in our urolithin A guide and see how the brands compare in our roundup of the best urolithin A gummies.

A clear, honest caveat

Urolithin A is a dietary supplement, not a treatment for any medical condition. If you have concerns about mobility, muscle loss, joint pain, fatigue, or you take prescription medication or are managing a health condition, this is not a substitute for care — please talk with your doctor before starting anything new.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This guide is educational and is not a substitute for advice from a qualified healthcare provider.