New Milestone Clinical Study Shows Postbiotic Urolithin A (Mitopure™) Improves Muscle Strength and Exercise Performance in Middle Aged Adults

New research by scientists in Switzerland shows supplementation with Urolithin A had exercise-like effects on muscle strength after 4-months (+12%), published in Cell Reports Medicine

This is the first clinical trial with Urolithin A in a middle-aged population and is also the first time that the potent mitochondrial recycling mechanism, mitophagy, is shown in humans

LAUSANNE, Switzerland & SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Amazentis, a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) pioneering scientific breakthroughs in cellular health and nutrition, announced today that the peer-reviewed clinical and translational journal Cell Reports Medicine published new clinical results showing the muscle health benefits of the gut microbiome postbiotic Urolithin A. Age-associated muscle decline can start as early as 40 years old and there are currently no effective interventions to counteract it other than exercise.

This milestone study showed that daily intake of Amazentis’ proprietary Urolithin A, Mitopure, significantly improved muscle strength by 12% after four months. These findings further validate Mitopure’s benefits for muscle and mitochondrial health and show it is safe and well tolerated. Mitopure works by supporting the cells’ ability to renew their powerplants, the mitochondria, during the aging process. Muscles have a high demand for energy and there are a very large number of mitochondria in muscle cells.

Previous research showed that Mitopure improved muscle endurance, reduced inflammation, and resulted in healthier mitochondrial function in older adults 65 to 90 years old. This new double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in middle-aged adults 40 to 64 years old (n=88) was conducted in London, Ontario, Canada following approvals from Health Canada and an independent IRB. Participants were randomized to receive daily supplementation with either 500mg, 1,000mg Mitopure or placebo for 4 months. Muscle strength, exercise performance tests and biomarkers of healthy mitochondrial function and inflammation in skeletal muscle biopsies and blood plasma were assessed at baseline, 2 months and 4 months.

• Two measures of skeletal muscle strength were improved in the supplemented groups compared to the placebo group. Muscle strength in the hamstring skeletal muscle was significantly increased in both 500mg (+12%) and 1,000mg groups (+9.8%). Muscle strength during knee flexion was also significantly improved at both 500mg (+10.6%) and 1,000mg doses (+10.5%)
• Clinically meaningful improvements on aerobic endurance (+ 10% in peak oxygen consumption [VO2]), physical performance (+ 33 meters on the 6 min walk test), and power output (+5%) were observed in the 1,000mg group, though not statistically significant
• The blood tests and biopsies showed a significant improvement in biomarkers of healthy mitochondrial function and reduced inflammation

“These results are exciting because this is the first in human demonstration that Urolithin A repairs the mitochondria via mitophagy and can translate to meaningful physiological benefits. Furthermore, the improvement in strength and exercise-performance occurred in the absence of any changes to participants exercise routine,” explained Johan Auwerx, MD, PhD, co-author and Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology EPFL.

This is an important discovery in longevity and muscle health research. Aging is associated with a decline in mitochondrial function which can lead to reduced exercise capacity, muscle endurance and strength. Urolithin A is the first and only compound that has been clinically shown to improve muscle function by renewing the mitochondria through a potent biological quality control mechanism called mitophagy. By activating this important biological pathway, Mitopure promotes healthy aging and improved muscle health and performance.

“This study further validates the role of mitochondrial health as an important pillar of vitality and shows Mitopure is a first in class nutrient that meaningfully impacts muscle health. We are proud to offer this proprietary form of Urolithin A in our Timeline® brand and inside Nestlé Health Science products,” said Chris Rinsch, CEO and Co-Founder of Amazentis. “We remain committed to pioneering clinically validated products that optimize cellular health with the mission of keeping millions of people healthier for longer”.

In addition, Amazentis also announced that Dr. Eric Verdin has joined the Amazentis scientific advisory board. Dr. Verdin is the president and chief executive officer of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and he has dedicated his career to studying longevity with the goal of transforming everyone into healthy centenarians.

“Mitochondrial decline is a key hallmark of aging and poor metabolic health. This study is an important milestone and shows that Urolithin A could be a gamechanger in our field.” said. Dr. Eric Verdin.

Doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100633

About Amazentis

Amazentis is an innovative life sciences company employing today’s leading research and clinical science to develop the next generation of products targeting mitochondrial health for advanced nutrition. Amazentis has previously published its research on Mitopure™ Urolithin A in top peer reviewed scientific journals including Nature Medicine (doi:10.1038/nm.4132), Nature Metabolism (doi: 10.1038/s42255-019-0073-4), JAMA Network Open (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.44279) and European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-021-00950-1). The company has a global strategic partnership with Nestlé Health Science to expand the health applications of Mitopure™ linked to mitochondrial and cellular health. For more information on Amazentis, please visit www.amazentis.com.

About Mitopure™

Mitopure™ is a highly pure form of Urolithin A; a bioactive dietary metabolite that is produced by gut bacteria after eating certain foods, such as the pomegranate, though it is difficult for most people to get enough of this specialized nutrient from food alone. Mitopure™ has been shown to improve mitochondrial function by stimulating mitophagy, a process by which aging and damaged mitochondria are cleared from the cell, making way for healthy mitochondria to grow. Mitopure™ has been favorably reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and deemed safe following a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) filing. Mitopure™ has been extensively evaluated pre-clinically and clinically to support its use in humans for nutritional supplementation. For more information, please visit www.mitopure.com.

About Timeline®

Timeline® Nutrition is brought to you by the inventors of Mitopure™. This novel, science-first brand was developed by Amazentis on the belief that uncompromising research can unlock a new class of clinically validated nutritional products to optimize cellular health. For more information, please visit www.timelinenutrition.com.

Related Links

https://www.timelinenutrition.com
https://www.amazentis.com

Contacts

Federico Luna

Chief Marketing Officer, Amazentis

[email protected]