Dietary bioactive compounds as modulators of mitochondrial function

•Respirometry analysis allows the evaluation of mitochondrial function in real time.•Several food bioactives improve health via modulation of mitochondrial activity.•Oxygen consumption rate (OCR) is a key parameter to assess mitochondrial activity.•Polyphenols increase OCR and respiratory capacity in multiple cell types.•Some gut-derived metabolites produced from food bioactives modulate OCR in myocytes.•Mitochondrial activation by food bioactives has upstream induction of AMPK/SIRT1.