For many, the word taurine sounds quite familiar, especially for those who enjoy a boost from RedBull. It is an ingredient in many energy drinks.
Taurine is sometimes referred to as the “magic molecule,” and according to one myth, its magical properties are explained by its origin from bull semen and urine… In its natural form, it is found in protein-rich foods, which are always of animal origin.
Sports nutrition manufacturers add taurine to certain types of sports nutrition, including (but not limited to) energy drinks, and also sell it as a standalone amino acid supplement for athletes.
Scientific research on the benefits of taurine in sports and bodybuilding is always controversial. There is evidence of its effectiveness in certain medical conditions.
In this article, we will discuss what taurine is, its beneficial properties, its role in sports and bodybuilding, touch on the potential harm of taurine to health, and determine whether it is the cause of the side effects of energy drinks, as evidenced by numerous scientific facts.
Main thoughts:
What is taurine?
Taurine was first isolated from bull bile in 1827. Today, it is most commonly found as a dietary supplement used in sports and medicine.
Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid. Our body can synthesize it on its own, but under certain conditions (children, multiple injuries), it becomes critically important, and regular intake through food is necessary.
Taurine is present in various parts of our body; in particularly high concentrations – in the brain, eyes, heart, muscles, and white blood cells (leukocytes) 1. This explains the benefits of its additional intake for improving the function of these organs, which will be shown below.
In sports and bodybuilding, taurine is known as a separate type of sports nutrition designed to increase performance or effectiveness.
Unlike other amino acids, taurine is not used to create proteins in the body.
The beneficial properties of taurine in the human body 22,23:
- supporting heart health;
- antioxidant action;
- supporting the function of the central nervous system;
- ensuring eye function – vision;
- participation in immune system function;
- increasing muscle performance and recovery speed – an advantage for athletes;
- relaxing or sedative effect, which can be beneficial for people with mental disorders.
Particularly striking is the last property: in energy drinks, one of the active ingredients has a relaxing effect… This creates a paradox. We will discuss it below.
In medicine, taurine deficiency is associated with certain cardiovascular diseases, eye conditions, and diabetes 2,3.
Contrary to popular belief, taurine is not derived from bull urine or semen. The basis for this myth is likely that the name of this amino acid comes from the Latin taurus, which means bull.
Taurine is a substance that participates in providing important functions in the human body (immune, vision, brain, heart), and in sports and bodybuilding – a type of sports nutrition taken to increase physical performance
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Taurine Content in Foods
As with other amino acids, good natural sources of taurine are primarily animal-derived protein products: meat, fish, and dairy 4.
A 240 ml serving of energy drinks may contain 600-1000 mg of taurine.
The diet of an average person who consumes meat provides about 400 mg of taurine per day; lacto-ovo-vegetarians get about 17 mg per day, while in a vegan diet (strict vegetarians), taurine is virtually absent 23.
In scientific studies, the most commonly used dose of taurine is 400-6000 mg per day.
The approximate taurine content in some food products 23:
- meat and poultry (chicken, turkey) – from 11 to 306 mg / 100 g;
- seafood – from 11 to 827 mg / 100 g;
- dairy products – from 2 to 8 mg per 100 ml.
The main sources of taurine are natural animal-derived products (meat, fish, and dairy products); it is also added to many energy drinks.
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What is taurine needed for? The beneficial properties of taurine in sports and bodybuilding | Scientific research
Scientific research indicates that additional taurine intake in sports and bodybuilding may be beneficial for:
- increasing muscle strength, delaying the onset of muscle fatigue, and accelerating recovery during strength training 6;
- enhancing the ability of muscles to contract and generate muscle strength 9;
- increasing endurance, removing metabolic byproducts (lactic acid) from the body, which are responsible for the feeling of fatigue and cause the familiar burning sensation in muscles 7,8;
- protecting muscle cells from damage and oxidative stress during intense training 10,11;
- weight loss due to fat burning 32.
However, as with many other types of sports nutrition, scientific research on the effectiveness of taurine in sports is inconclusive.
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1 The benefits of taurine in running
In one study on professional middle-distance runners (3 km), it was shown that the performance in covering the distance improved by an average of 12 seconds after taking 1000 mg of taurine two hours before the race 26…
For running, 12 seconds is a colossal time advantage.
At the same time, the report notes that the mechanism of such improvement is NOT understood: no changes were observed in the functioning of the respiratory system, heart rate, or blood lactate concentration – a marker of physical fatigue.
The scientists concluded that with a probability of 99.3%, additional intake of taurine as a supplement is beneficial for improving physical performance and sports results.
In another study involving 15 runners, it was shown that there was no effect after they consumed 1 to 3 energy drinks from different manufacturers containing caffeine and taurine during a 15-minute trial.
The scientists’ conclusion: “our observations demonstrate the absence of any advantages for athletes when consuming energy drinks and taurine. However, we found a significant increase in blood pressure” 27.
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2 Benefits of taurine in cycling
Here 32 in an experiment involving cyclists who took 1.66 g of taurine one hour before the race, the scientists also noted the absence of any effect on sports performance.
However, they found some increase in fat oxidation (its use for energy) during the race (see comment below).
3 Benefits of taurine in bodybuilding
Scientific studies confirm the effectiveness of taurine in reducing muscle damage during strength training in bodybuilding, increasing muscle strength, and decreasing the sensation of muscle soreness and concentration of fatigue markers in the blood 10,12,13.
In these experiments, an increase in endurance during training and a delay in the onset of fatigue were noted.
In study 13, the combined effectiveness of taurine and BCAA amino acids was shown to reduce the sensation of muscle soreness and the degree of muscle damage during strength training.
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4 Benefits of taurine for weight loss
In addition, some facts suggest that taurine may be beneficial for weight loss, as it increases the body’s ability to use fat for energy. This was demonstrated in cyclists who took 1.66 g of taurine and increased fat burning by 16% 32.
Often, this study is used to confirm the benefits of taurine for weight loss; however, it should be remembered that the bodies of professional athletes and ordinary people function differently and, by the way, there is very rarely anything to “burn” in them…
Scientific research indicates the potential benefits of additional taurine intake in sports and bodybuilding for increasing endurance, reducing muscle damage during intense strength training, as well as enhancing fat-burning potential.
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Other beneficial properties of taurine
Taurine has a fairly extensive list of health benefits.
It is worth noting that taurine is present in very high concentrations in muscles, the retina of the eyes, the brain, and the heart. Its deficiency often leads to dysfunction of these organs, while, conversely, additional intake can improve their function.
5 Taurine and vision
Taurine is found in sufficiently high concentrations in the retina of the eye, and studies show that some vision problems may occur precisely due to taurine deficiency in the diet.
Increasing its concentration in the blood through additional intake in the form of a supplement leads to the restoration of vision 14,15.
6 Taurine and muscle cramps
Since taurine plays an important role in muscle contraction and generating muscle strength, its intake may be beneficial for treating muscle cramps and alleviating the course of seizures in epilepsy 16,17.
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7 Taurine and the liver
Taurine can protect the liver from the negative effects of free radicals and toxins.
One study showed that taking 2 g of taurine three times a day leads to a reduction in liver damage markers 18,19.
8Taurine and the heart
The concentration of taurine is very high in the heart muscle.
Scientific research indicates the benefits of its additional intake for the cardiovascular system, its ability to reduce the risk of various heart diseases, which is explained by taurine’s ability to lower blood pressure and its anti-inflammatory effects 28,29.
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9 Taurine and the Brain
For many years, it was believed that the function of brain cells inevitably declines with age and that this process is irreversible.
Recent scientific data suggests that taurine is a unique amino acid that participates in the regeneration of brain cells 30. Its concentration significantly decreases in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Increasing its content in the diet enhances the growth of brain cells, including the part responsible for memory, and extends the lifespan of neurons.
10 Taurine and Metabolic Syndrome
Taurine may be effective in treating metabolic syndrome – a metabolic disorder characterized by several factors that significantly increase the risk of serious diseases (diabetes and cardiovascular diseases): excess fat in the abdominal area, high blood sugar and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
Numerous scientific studies indicate that taurine may be the magical molecule that is effective in combating metabolic syndrome 31.
Scientific data supports the benefits of taurine as a dietary supplement for heart, liver, eye, and brain health, as well as for the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome – a precursor to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
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How to Take Taurine in Sports
As with other amino acids, the primary question is whether it makes sense to take taurine if the diet already contains sufficient quality protein that includes taurine.
We recommend reviewing the opinions of doctors and experts regarding the benefits of individual amino acid intake in sports and bodybuilding.
The commonly accepted dose of taurine is 500-2000 mg per day.
Some studies suggest that a total dose of 3000 mg is safe for lifelong consumption, although some data confirm safety for health at significantly higher doses 21.
Despite the fact that taurine is found in many natural products, it is quite difficult to ensure the dosage of this amino acid solely through them.
The standard dose of taurine is 500-2000 mg; 3000 mg per day is considered a safe dose even when consumed throughout life.
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Harm of Taurine and Possible Side Effects
Taurine is considered a safe supplement, and when consumed in recommended doses, side effects are absent. However, as with absolutely all supplements, even the most beneficial ones, it is very important to maintain moderation.
As with most other supplements containing amino acids and protein, exceeding taurine dosages may lead to kidney problems, and particular caution should be exercised by those who already have such issues 22.
Taurine is a relatively safe supplement; cases of harm and side effects from its use in recommended doses have not been recorded. Exceeding the recommended dosage may lead to kidney problems.
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Is Taurine Harmful in Energy Drinks?
The overwhelming majority of energy drinks for athletes contain taurine, along with caffeine and a large amount of sugar.
In the USA, over the past few years, the frequency of emergency hospitalizations has doubled due to the consumption of energy drinks. There have also been reported cases of deaths.
Is taurine to blame for this?
In the article about the scientific facts of the harm of energy drinks, we mentioned that the main cause of side effects from their use, including death, is caffeine overdose, NOT taurine.
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However, it was also noted in one of the expert opinions that the harm of energy drinks may be explained by the combined effect of the ingredients in their composition, which is not fully understood by modern scientists (caffeine + sugar + taurine, etc.).
On the website of one of the most popular energy drinks, RedBull, it is stated that the human body naturally contains 70% more taurine than in one can of their drink 24, indicating the relative insignificance of its concentration.
The fact of its harmlessness is also confirmed by data from the European Food Safety Authority, which states that “despite taurine being used in elevated dosages in most energy drinks, recent scientific data indicate that a dose of up to 1 g of taurine per kilogram of body weight per day is safe and does not lead to side effects” 25.
1 g per kilogram is equivalent to… 80 g of taurine for an 80 kg person…
In the section on How to Take Taurine, it was mentioned that a dose of 3 g per day is considered safe even when taken throughout life.
In one can of RedBull, there is approximately 1 g of taurine 24. This means that to reach a limit of 80 g, 80 cans of the drink would be needed, and for a limit of 3 g – 3 cans.
But we must not forget about other ingredients. Especially caffeine. Some cases of deaths from energy drink consumption occurred after consuming 3-8 cans of energy drinks…
Taurine is one of the ingredients in most energy drinks. However, it is unlikely that the harm from energy drinks is related to its consumption, although some experts note that the mechanism of the combined action of caffeine, taurine, and sugar is still unclear.
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In summary: what do we know about the benefits and harms of taurine?
Taurine is an amino acid with a significant list of health benefits. It has proven scientific effectiveness in improving cardiovascular function, brain and liver health, reducing the risk of diabetes, and enhancing vision.
Recent scientific studies confirm the remarkable role of taurine in the regeneration of brain cells.
In sports and bodybuilding, taurine is taken to improve physical performance; some experiments (but not all) confirm that when athletes take it as a supplement, their running speed increases, and in bodybuilding, it reduces muscle damage and muscle soreness during strength training.
Overall, scientific research on the effectiveness of taurine in sports is contradictory.
