Mitochondria are the organelles responsible for producing the majority of cellular ATP, the energy currency that powers every physiological process. Mitochondrial function and number decline with age, contributing to reduced energy production, impaired cellular repair, and increased oxidative stress. This decline is a central mechanism of biological ageing and is significantly modifiable through lifestyle.
The Lifestyle Interventions with the Strongest Evidence
- High-intensity interval training: the most potent stimulus for mitochondrial biogenesis, the creation of new mitochondria, in both young and older adults. A 2017 study in Cell Metabolism found that HIIT reversed age-related mitochondrial decline in adults over 65
- Aerobic exercise: chronic aerobic training increases both mitochondrial number and efficiency through AMPK and PGC-1 alpha signalling
- Caloric restriction and intermittent fasting: upregulate autophagy, the cellular housekeeping process that removes damaged mitochondria and components
- Cold exposure: cold-induced noradrenaline release activates UCP1 in brown adipose tissue and drives mitochondrial uncoupling, which is associated with mitochondrial biogenesis
- Resistance training: produces mitochondrial adaptations primarily in Type 2 muscle fibres, which have lower baseline mitochondrial density
Nutritional Support
- Coenzyme Q10: a cofactor in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, supplementation has evidence for improving mitochondrial function in adults with established deficiency
- Magnesium: essential for ATP synthesis, and frequently deficient in adults consuming a Western diet
- B vitamins: required as coenzymes in multiple steps of the Krebs cycle and electron transport chain
- Polyphenols: resveratrol and quercetin activate PGC-1 alpha through sirtuin activation, promoting mitochondrial biogenesis
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