Urolithin A in Your 60s

Your 60s are the decade where the small, slow changes of earlier years become something you notice: stairs that feel steeper, a jar lid that fights back, an afternoon that fades sooner than it used to. Of the compounds studied for healthy aging, urolithin A is notable for having been tested specifically in older adults — which makes it unusually relevant for this stage of life, provided you keep your expectations grounded in what the research actually shows.

What's happening in the body at 60-plus

Two intertwined processes define the physiology of this decade. The first is a gradual loss of muscle mass and strength that researchers call sarcopenia — not a disease you either have or don't, but a continuum that tends to accelerate from the 60s onward if nothing is done to counter it. The second is a decline in mitochondrial function: the tiny energy plants inside your cells become fewer and less efficient, and your body gets slower at clearing out the damaged ones. Less muscle and less cellular energy reinforce each other, which is why "I just have less get-up-and-go" is such a common and biologically real description of this stage.

None of this is a reason for alarm, and none of it is destiny. Muscle responds to training at every age, and the cellular maintenance process that keeps mitochondria healthy can be supported. Urolithin A sits precisely at that intersection. If you want the underlying biology first, see mitochondrial health and what is sarcopenia.

What urolithin A does

Urolithin A is a compound your gut bacteria make from ellagitannins in foods like pomegranates and walnuts. Its most studied action is supporting mitophagy — the cellular recycling process that removes worn-out mitochondria so healthier ones can take over. This matters more with age for two reasons: mitophagy tends to slow down over the years, and many people's microbiomes don't produce much urolithin A from food in the first place. Supplementing delivers the compound directly rather than relying on a conversion step that may not happen efficiently. Our urolithin A guide explains the mechanism in more depth.

The research that makes this decade relevant

What sets urolithin A apart from many longevity supplements is that it has been tested in people, including people in and beyond their 60s.

The one to know first: a trial in older adults (Liu, D'Amico and colleagues, 2022, JAMA Network Open) ran for roughly four months and pointed to improvements in muscle endurance — the ability of muscle to keep working without fatiguing — a quality that maps directly onto everyday tasks like climbing stairs, carrying groceries, or staying steady on a longer walk. In middle-aged adults, Singh and colleagues (2022, Cell Reports Medicine) tested 500 mg and 1,000 mg daily over four months and reported gains in muscle strength and exercise performance. The first-in-human safety study (Andreux et al., 2019, Nature Metabolism) found urolithin A safe and well tolerated up to 1,000 mg per day and detected a mitochondrial gene-expression signature indicating it was engaging the intended biology. A 2025 randomized placebo-controlled study in Nature Aging reported support for immune-cell mitochondrial health in midlife adults over about 28 days, relevant to the low-grade inflammation of aging sometimes called inflammaging. A 2024 systematic review in Ageing Research Reviews summarized the human evidence to date.

Alongside these human findings sit the foundational preclinical studies — Ryu and colleagues (2016, Nature Medicine) first showed urolithin A triggered mitophagy and improved muscle function in animal models and extended lifespan in a simple worm model, and later work (D'Amico et al., 2022, Aging Cell) explored joint and cartilage mitochondrial health in models. These are animal and cell studies, not human proof, but they are why the human trials were run in the first place.

Honest expectations

Here's the part that keeps this useful rather than hype. Urolithin A supports the infrastructure of muscle and cellular energy; it does not build muscle on its own. In the human trials, the context was daily use over months, and the compound worked best as a complement to — not a replacement for — the single most powerful intervention available in your 60s: resistance training. Lifting weights, using resistance bands, or doing bodyweight work a couple of times a week does more for strength and independence than any supplement, full stop. Urolithin A is best understood as support for that effort, helping the cellular machinery your muscles depend on.

It is also a slow-acting compound. There is no "take it and feel it tomorrow." Benefits in studies emerged over roughly four months of consistent daily use, so patience and routine matter more than any single dose.

Safety and a necessary caution

Human trials found urolithin A well tolerated, with no serious safety concerns at the studied doses. That said, your 60s are often when prescription medications and managed health conditions enter the picture, and that changes the calculus. Urolithin A is a wellness supplement, not a treatment for sarcopenia, frailty, or any medical condition, and it is not a substitute for medical care. If you take medications — especially for the heart, blood pressure, or blood sugar — or manage any ongoing condition, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting. See urolithin A side effects and drug interactions for more, and raise it with your provider rather than deciding solo.

Building it into your routine

The practical approach for this decade is unglamorous and effective: take urolithin A once daily with a meal, pair it with resistance exercise you can sustain, keep protein intake adequate, and stay hydrated. Consistency beats intensity — the research rewards months of steady use. If you're just getting started with fitness again, our page on starting fitness after 50 and supplements for muscle after 50 may help you sequence things sensibly.

The bottom line

If you're in your 60s and thinking about one supplement for healthy aging, urolithin A has a stronger claim than most: it has been studied in older adults, with human findings on muscle endurance and strength, a clean safety profile at studied doses, and a clear, well-understood mechanism in mitochondrial maintenance. Keep your expectations honest — it supports your muscles and cells, it doesn't replace the training and medical care that do the heavy lifting — and it can be a sensible, evidence-grounded part of a healthy-aging routine. Explore your options in our best urolithin A gummies roundup, or read how it fits earlier decades in urolithin A in your 50s.

*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.