The study employed mechanical stretching in vitro of sections of abdominal aorta of elderly mice to investigate any benefits of oral treatment with alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) on arterial elasticity. Eighteen female mice (50-weeks-old) were assigned to a control (2% w/v) Na₂-AKG or (2% w/v) a Ca-AKG group, and treated for 182 days before being humanely killed. Aorta sections were exposed to increases in force (0.09 N) giving approx. 6 kPa of pressure, after which elastic recoil (N ms^-1 wet wt.) was measured. Na₂-AKG treatment for 182 days induced a 30% (P <0.01) improvement, while Ca-AKG induced a 93% (P <0.001) improvement in the elastic recoil compared to controls (3.30 ± 0.08 x 10^-5 N ms^-1 mg^-1 wet wt.). AKG administered orally improved arterial elasticity in elderly mice, a change that occurred despite an increase in total collagen content. Alpha-ketoglutarate warrants further investigation as a candidate for therapies targeting arterial stiffening with age.