Masters Runner: Female, Age 50 years old. Weekly mileage 30-40 miles per week. Competes in middle distance events ranging from 400m to Mile. The athlete routinely performs at 85-92% of age graded results. She has numerous American and World masters age group records in middle distance events. She is highly trained and has been running for 37 years.
Middle distance events utilize all three forms of mitochondria energy production alactic, glycolytic and aerobic. As we age, our bodies ability to maintain the same speeds and strength declines for a number of reasons.
Supplement: Mitopure Urolithin A 1000mg per day at dinner with food for 16 weeks matching the same timeline as the research performed on the sedentary individuals.
Having a healthy supply of mitochondria could go a long way to improving both strength & endurance. Mitophagy is a form of autophagy that selectively removes dysfunctional or superfluous mitochondria from the cell. It's a quality control mechanism that ensures the cell has a healthy population of mitochondria. Mitophagy declines as we age which can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, age-related diseases, and loss of strength/endurance.
The supplement Mitopure claims that it has the ability to improve cellular energy, muscle strength and endurance. Mitopure is a highly purified and bioavailable form of Urolithin A, a postbiotic compound naturally produced when gut bacteria metabolize ellagitannins found in foods like pomegranates, berries, and walnuts. It's designed to enhance cellular energy and target signs of aging by promoting mitophagy and revitalizing mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells. Clinical studies show Mitopure can improve muscle strength and endurance.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35050355/
If an aging athlete has the ability to improve mitophagy it should have the ability to improve cellular energy, muscle strength and endurance in the same time frame that was used on the sedentary cohort.
Measurements included in this case study:
Resting Heart Rate
Low Heart Rate
Max Heart Rate
Body Temperature
Vascular Age
Muscle %
Fat %
Bone %
VO2 max
5k Predictive time
Skin Health
Tools used to capture data include Apple Watch Ultra, Withings Body Composition Scale and Garmin Fenix 6S.
Diet & Exercise: No change to regular diet or exercise during the 16 week trial.
Results from the 16 week study (pre to post):
Resting Heart Rate (40 BPM to 49 BPM)
Low Heart Rate (37.5 BPM to 37.3 BPM)
Max Heart Rate (148 BPM to 137 BPM)
Body Temperature (97.8 F to 97.4 F)
Vascular Age (41.7 years to 44.0 years)
Weight (106.8 lbs to 109.8 lbs)
Muscle % (80.7% to 78.7%)
Fat % (12.9% to 14.3%)
Bone % (7.0% to 7.0%)
VO2 max (66 to 66)
5k Predictive time (15:34 to 18:14)
Skin Wrinkles (less after 16 weeks due to increase in body fat)
Runner reported side effects from consuming the supplement included massive gastrointestinal distress while running at top speeds during races which resulted in an unpleasant experience that has never happened to her in 37 years of running. Endurance workouts felt like she was running slower and that she did not have full power. Short speed improved but also had been training her alactic system over 100 meter strides. This result is not due to changes in mitophagy as the distance is too short for it to have a direct impact.
The athlete chose to stop taking the supplement at the end of the 16 week trial and reported that her stomach symptoms after 1 week are resolving and no longer feeling gastrointestinal distress while running.
The claim that Mitopure improves cellular energy, muscle strength and endurance does not seem to apply to this highly trained athlete. There was one other test subject (female age 54, also highly trained) that took the supplement for 8 weeks but saw no benefit and stopped taking it.
In the case study of “Urolithin A improves muscle strength, exercise performance, and biomarkers of mitochondrial health in a randomized trial in middle-aged adults” there were test subjects who did not improve.
https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/pdf/S2666-3791(22)00158-6.pdf
I think we need a better understanding as to why some people show improvements and why some show no improvement or worsening results. Based on this case study, I would not recommend this product to other elite athletes as the side effects were intolerable especially while racing.
Sonja reminded me “There are so many variables especially regarding middle aged women, we are desperate for solutions and I think that it has created more opportunity unfortunately for companies to take advantage of that and mis-lead or over promise us as consumers.”
Our quest for finding what will improve or slow the decline of our VO2 max, muscle strength as we age or if we can slow down the aging process and improve mitophagy continues. Personally, I think there are no quick fixes and we just have to go about the old fashioned way. Hard work.
Sonja and Jennifer are sharing their personal experiences. This is being provided for informational purposes only. We are not giving medical advice and you should always consult your own doctor for advice related to your own health.