Menopausal Women Wanting Energy

Reviewed by SOMA HEALTH's Medical Research Team

By the time perimenopause is behind you and you have reached menopause — twelve months past your last period — the hormonal shifts of the transition have largely settled into a new baseline. What many women notice in this post-perimenopause stage is not the hot-flash chaos of the years before, but something quieter and more persistent: less day-to-day energy, and muscles that feel harder to keep strong. Part of that story runs through the cell, and specifically through the mitochondria that power muscle. Urolithin A is a compound studied for its effect on mitochondrial quality and muscle function. Here is what the science genuinely supports, clearly labeled, and where it stops.

Why energy and muscle shift after menopause

Estrogen does far more than regulate the menstrual cycle. It has direct effects on skeletal muscle, and research indicates that the fall in estrogen across and after the menopausal transition is linked to changes in muscle mass, strength and the function of the mitochondria within muscle fibers. In plain terms, the cellular machinery that muscles rely on to produce energy and stay in good repair appears to become less efficient when estrogen declines, which is one physiological thread behind the lower stamina and the greater effort needed to maintain strength that many post-menopausal women describe. It is not the only factor — sleep disruption, changes in activity and life stress all matter — but it is a real and studied one.

This is exactly the layer of biology where urolithin A has been investigated. It does not act on hormones and it is not a hormone therapy. What it targets is mitochondrial quality.

What urolithin A is

Urolithin A is a gut postbiotic. When you eat ellagitannins — polyphenols found in pomegranates, walnuts and some berries — certain gut bacteria convert them into urolithin A. The important detail is that only some women carry the microbes to make it, and the amount produced varies widely from person to person, so a pomegranate-rich diet does not guarantee you produce a useful amount. That is a key reason it is studied as a defined dose. Its most-researched action is mitophagy — the cell's way of identifying worn-out mitochondria and recycling them so healthier ones can take their place. Our explainers on mitophagy and mitochondrial health cover the mechanism in more depth.

The human evidence, most established first

Safety and mitochondrial signalling (human)

The first-in-human study — Andreux et al., Nature Metabolism (2019) — found urolithin A safe and well tolerated at doses up to 1,000 mg per day and showed a measurable mitochondrial gene-expression signature in participants. That establishes that a defined dose reaches the body and engages mitochondria-related pathways, with no safety signal at the doses tested.

Muscle strength, endurance and performance (human)

This is the most directly relevant evidence for the post-menopause concern about maintaining strength. Singh et al. (Cell Reports Medicine, 2022) studied middle-aged adults over four months, with 500 mg and 1,000 mg daily arms, and reported benefits for muscle strength and exercise performance — a group whose age overlaps with many women in this life stage. Liu, D'Amico et al. (JAMA Network Open, 2022) studied older adults over roughly four months and reported improvements in muscle endurance. A 2024 randomized trial in resistance-trained men (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 8 weeks) adds data in a fitter population. An important honesty note: these trials enrolled mixed or male populations and were not designed specifically around menopause, so we describe them as general structure/function findings about muscle, not menopause-specific results.

Newer human work: cellular energy and inflammaging

A 2025 randomized controlled trial in Nature Aging (about 28 days) reported that urolithin A supported the mitochondrial health of immune cells in midlife adults, in the context of the low-grade inflammation sometimes called inflammaging. A 2025 trial in distance runners looked at endurance outcomes. This is early, evolving work: a 2024 systematic review in Ageing Research Reviews concluded that the human evidence for targeting aging with urolithin A is still emerging. We want you to hold that alongside the more established muscle findings.

Preclinical research: promising, clearly labeled

The earliest signals came from the laboratory and must be labeled preclinical. Ryu et al. (Nature Medicine, 2016) showed urolithin A induced mitophagy, extended lifespan in the worm C. elegans, and improved muscle function in rodents. D'Amico et al. (Aging Cell, 2022) reported joint and cartilage benefits in osteoarthritis models — potentially interesting given the joint aches some women report in midlife, but this was in animals and is not evidence about treating joint disease. Early or preclinical research is also exploring possible roles in skin, gut, brain and heart tissue; these are hypotheses being investigated, not established human outcomes, and none should be read as menopause claims.

What this realistically means in this life stage

Be clear-eyed: urolithin A is not a hormone, not hormone replacement therapy, and not a treatment for menopause or any menopausal symptom. It will not address hot flashes, mood changes, sleep disruption or bone-density concerns. What the human evidence supports is narrower — mitochondrial engagement and measurable gains in muscle strength and endurance over several months of consistent daily use in general adult populations. For a woman whose main goal is to support everyday energy and hold on to muscle strength as cellular function shifts, that is a reasonable, honestly-scoped thing to support.

The single biggest lever for maintaining strength and energy in and after menopause remains resistance training paired with adequate protein; urolithin A is a supporting input alongside that, not a replacement for it. Because the muscle findings emerged over roughly four months, this is a daily habit — see how long it takes to work and the detail on urolithin A for muscle. For the full picture, start with our urolithin A guide.

Important: this is a wellness supplement, not a treatment. Menopause care — including options such as hormone therapy, and evaluation of persistent fatigue, low mood, or changes in bone or heart health — is a medical matter. Please see your doctor to discuss your symptoms and whether urolithin A fits alongside your care and any medications.

*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.