Alpha-Ketoglutarate

Calcium alpha-ketoglutarate · alpha-ketoglutaric acid

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Burn wound healing^{1, 2} Nitrogen balance after burns³ Muscle recovery⁴ Cardiac surgery myocardial protection⁵ Biological age markers⁶ Phosphate binding in hemodialysis⁷	Kidney disease⁸ Liver disease⁸ Under 18 years⁸ Pregnancy or lactation⁸

Alpha-ketoglutarate is a Krebs cycle intermediate involved in cellular energy production and nitrogen metabolism⁹. Supplementation aims to replenish that pool under catabolic stress.² Ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate is used for nitrogen retention and wound healing after severe burns².

In one randomized trial of severe burn patients, ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate improved nitrogen balance and wound healing scores compared with placebo¹⁰. A review of muscle supplements found no evidence supporting alpha-ketoglutarate for muscle mass or strength¹¹. In 2026, a cross-sectional cohort study found a delayed-release calcium alpha-ketoglutarate and vitamin product associated with lower epigenetic biological age, while plain alpha-ketoglutarate showed no significant association¹². Many products listing alpha-ketoglutarate are sold as calcium, ornithine, and arginine forms; see Form comparison.

Long-term calcium alpha-ketoglutarate raised serum calcium in hemodialysis patients, so its calcium load is relevant to renal disease⁷. Per United States product labels, people with kidney or liver disease are told to consult a health care practitioner before use⁸.

Last updated October 17, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

46 sources, 38 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources