Urolithin A and Creatine: How They Differ and Taking Both

Urolithin A and creatine both support your muscles through different parts of the cell's energy system, and the two can be taken together. Urolithin A supports mitophagy, the recycling of worn-out mitochondria, and has been studied for muscle endurance and strength in middle-aged and older adults over 2 to 4 months. Creatine helps muscles recycle ATP through phosphocreatine for short, hard efforts and is studied most for strength alongside resistance training.

Key Takeaways

• Urolithin A is made by gut bacteria from ellagitannins in pomegranates, berries and walnuts, and cell and animal research identified it as a compound that switches on mitophagy (Ryu et al., 2016).
• In 66 adults aged 65 to 90, 1,000 mg of urolithin A a day improved endurance in a hand muscle and a leg muscle compared with placebo by 2 months (Liu et al., 2022).
• In 88 sedentary middle-aged adults, 500 mg or 1,000 mg a day for 4 months raised hamstring strength by about 10 to 12 percent compared with placebo (Singh et al., 2022).
• Across 22 trials in 721 older adults doing resistance training, creatine added about 1.4 kg more lean mass and more chest press and leg press strength than placebo (Chilibeck et al., 2017).
• Trials tested each one on its own, and they act on separate systems: urolithin A on mitochondrial quality, creatine on the quick energy buffer.

Urolithin A vs Creatine: What Each One Does

Mitochondria are the power plants that make ATP, the energy a muscle spends when it contracts. Urolithin A works on the power plants, helping the cell clear out worn-out mitochondria. Creatine stores energy as phosphocreatine and uses it to remake ATP the moment a muscle needs it.

	Urolithin A	Creatine
What it is	A compound gut bacteria make from ellagitannins in pomegranates, berries and walnuts	A compound the liver and kidneys make, about 1 g a day, also found in beef, pork and salmon
Main job	Supports mitophagy, the recycling of worn-out mitochondria	Stores energy as phosphocreatine to recycle ATP
Studied most for	Muscle endurance, leg strength and blood markers of mitochondrial health	Strength, power, sprints and repeated short efforts
Who was studied	Middle-aged and older adults, including sedentary people	Athletes, active adults and older adults, mostly alongside training
Amounts in trials	500 mg or 1,000 mg a day	3 to 5 g a day, with or without a loading phase

See our urolithin A ingredient page and creatine ingredient page.

What the Urolithin A Research Shows

Mitophagy is how cells remove faulty mitochondria and regenerate working ones, and it declines with age (Singh et al., 2022). In the 2016 study that first described urolithin A as a mitophagy inducer, it reduced the buildup of faulty mitochondria and extended lifespan in roundworms, and improved exercise capacity in aging mice and young rats (Ryu et al., 2016). Human trials followed those animal studies:

Trial	Who and how much	What changed with urolithin A
Andreux et al., 2019	Healthy, sedentary older adults; 500 mg or 1,000 mg a day for 4 weeks	Good safety profile; reached the blood at every dose; changed blood acylcarnitines and muscle mitochondrial gene activity
Liu et al., 2022	66 adults aged 65 to 90; 1,000 mg a day for 4 months	Better endurance in a hand muscle and a leg muscle at 2 months; lower acylcarnitines, ceramides and C-reactive protein at 4 months
Singh et al., 2022	88 sedentary adults aged 40 to 65 with overweight; 500 mg or 1,000 mg a day for 4 months	Hamstring strength about 12 percent higher at 500 mg and about 10 percent higher at 1,000 mg than placebo; more mitophagy-related proteins in muscle

Acylcarnitines form when mitochondria break down fats, and C-reactive protein is a blood marker of inflammation; the middle-aged trial's authors read lower levels of both as signs of more efficient mitochondria and less inflammation (Singh et al., 2022).

Food alone is an uncertain route: in the same trial, only about 15 percent of participants had urolithin A in their blood at the start, which is why trials give it directly. Our guides to urolithin A benefits and mitophagy go deeper.

What the Creatine Research Shows

A 154-pound adult carries about 120 g of creatine and phosphocreatine, almost all of it in skeletal and heart muscle (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements). Phosphocreatine is an instant energy buffer and a shuttle that carries energy from mitochondria to where the cell uses it (Wallimann et al., 2011). Supplementing raises the creatine stored in muscle (Kreider et al., 2017).

The payoff shows up in short, intense work. In men and women, 5 to 7 days of creatine often improves strength, power and sprints, and over weeks to months it supports training gains (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements). In older adults, a review of 22 randomized trials found that creatine taken during 7 to 52 weeks of resistance training increased lean tissue mass and upper and lower body strength more than placebo (Chilibeck et al., 2017). Read more in creatine benefits and creatine for recovery.

Urolithin A and Creatine Together

The two divide the work. Urolithin A has been studied for mitochondrial quality and how long a muscle can keep going; creatine for how quickly ATP is remade during a hard effort and for strength gained with training. The systems also meet: an enzyme on the mitochondria, mitochondrial creatine kinase, uses freshly made ATP to build phosphocreatine and send it into the cell (Wallimann et al., 2011).

• If you train for strength, creatine fits well; most of its results come from people who train.
• If your focus is staying active as you age, urolithin A was studied in middle-aged and older adults, including people who were not exercising.
• If you want both, each covers a part of muscle energy the other does not.

See also our guide to cellular energy and mitochondrial health.

How to Take Them

• Urolithin A: trials used 500 mg or 1,000 mg a day, and the 4-month trial in middle-aged adults gave it in the morning with water before breakfast (Singh et al., 2022).
• Creatine: either load with 20 g a day in four 5 g portions for 5 to 7 days and then take 3 to 5 g a day, or take 3 to 6 g a day with no loading over 3 to 4 weeks (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements). See how much creatine per day.
• Both: take them every day; consistency matters more than timing.

Safety: Who Should Check First

Urolithin A was safe and well tolerated in the human trials. Over 4 months, adverse events were similar to placebo in older adults (Liu et al., 2022), and blood and urine tests in middle-aged adults showed no meaningful changes compared with placebo (Singh et al., 2022).

For creatine, short and long-term use, in studies lasting up to 5 years, was safe and well tolerated in healthy people (Kreider et al., 2017). Weight gain from water held in muscle is common, and nausea, loose stools or cramps have been reported anecdotally; drinking enough fluids may help (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements). See creatine side effects.

• Kidneys: creatine can raise creatinine, a kidney test marker, so tell your doctor you take it before blood work. Talk to your doctor first if you have kidney disease or take medicines that affect the kidneys.
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding and medicines: check with your clinician before starting either one if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take prescription medicine or are being treated for a medical condition.
• Age: both of our products are for adults 18 and over.

Where Our Products Fit

Our Urolithin A + Spermidine Capsules combine urolithin A 500 mg with spermidine 6 mg from a gluten-free source in every 2 capsules in the planned formula. That 500 mg matches the daily amount in the first human trial and in one arm of the 4-month trial in middle-aged adults, and spermidine is studied for its role in autophagy, the cell's own recycling process. Planned directions: 2 capsules a day with water, as directed on the label. They are coming soon: join the waitlist, and no payment is taken.

Our Creatine Monohydrate gives 5 g of creatine monohydrate in every scoop. Mix 1 scoop (5 g) daily, or as directed on the label, into water, juice or a smoothie. It is coming soon too. Both are made with third-party tested ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between urolithin A and creatine?

Urolithin A supports mitophagy, the recycling of worn-out mitochondria, and has been studied for muscle endurance and strength in middle-aged and older adults. Creatine stores energy as phosphocreatine so muscles can quickly remake ATP, and is studied most for strength and power with training.

Urolithin A vs creatine: which is better for muscle?

It depends on your goal. Creatine has been studied for strength and lean mass in many trials, mostly alongside resistance training. Urolithin A was studied for muscle endurance, leg strength and mitochondrial markers in adults aged 40 to 90, including people who were not exercising. The two can also be combined.

Can you take urolithin A and creatine together?

Yes, they fit into one daily routine, since urolithin A acts on mitochondrial quality and creatine on the phosphocreatine energy buffer. Trials have tested each one on its own, so follow each label, and check with your doctor first if you take prescription medicine or have kidney disease.

Does urolithin A build muscle like creatine?

They are studied for different things. With resistance training, creatine added about 1.4 kg more lean tissue mass than placebo in older adults. Urolithin A trials focused on muscle function, finding better endurance in older adults and about 10 to 12 percent more hamstring strength than placebo in sedentary middle-aged adults.

Is urolithin A or creatine better for endurance?

Urolithin A is the one studied for endurance: in adults aged 65 to 90, 1,000 mg a day improved endurance in a hand muscle and a leg muscle compared with placebo by 2 months. Creatine's research is strongest for short, intense efforts such as lifting and sprints.

How long does urolithin A take to work?

Mitochondrial markers shifted after 4 weeks, muscle endurance improved by 2 months in older adults, and hamstring strength was higher at 4 months in middle-aged adults. Plan on steady daily use for at least a few months, as the trials did, rather than judging it after a week or two.

Is it safe to take urolithin A and creatine?

Both have good safety records in healthy adults: urolithin A was well tolerated over 4 months in trials, and creatine in studies lasting up to 5 years. Creatine can raise creatinine on a blood test, so tell your doctor you take it, and check with your clinician first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Sources

• Ryu D, Mouchiroud L, Andreux PA, et al. Urolithin A induces mitophagy and prolongs lifespan in C. elegans and increases muscle function in rodents. Nature Medicine, 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27400265/
• Andreux PA, Blanco-Bose W, Ryu D, et al. The mitophagy activator urolithin A is safe and induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health in humans. Nature Metabolism, 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32694802/
• Liu S, et al. Effect of urolithin A supplementation on muscle endurance and mitochondrial health in older adults: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35050355/
• Singh A, D'Amico D, Andreux PA, et al. Urolithin A improves muscle strength, exercise performance, and biomarkers of mitochondrial health in a randomized trial in middle-aged adults. Cell Reports Medicine, 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35584623/
• Wallimann T, Tokarska-Schlattner M, Schlattner U. The creatine kinase system and pleiotropic effects of creatine. Amino Acids, 2011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21448658/
• Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28615996/
• Chilibeck PD, Kaviani M, Candow DG, Zello GA. Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29138605/
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-HealthProfessional/

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.