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You may be familiar with taurine mainly from pre-workouts and energy drinks. This unassuming amino acid is known for its ergogenic properties, which means it’s used to boost both physical and mental performance. Let’s take a look together at how it can affect your athletic performance as well as your concentration, and who is at risk of becoming deficient.
In this article you will read about the effect of taurine on the following:
What is taurine?
Taurine is an amino acid commonly found in the human body. However, unlike other known amino acids, it is not involved in proteosynthesis, or the formation of body proteins such as muscle proteins. But it is all the more essential in other processes. For example, cells need it for energy production , and not only because of this it is abundantly represented in powerful organs such as the heart, the nervous system or muscles.
This amino acid is conditionally essential. This means, first of all, that your body can create it on its own under certain conditions. It is useful to know that a healthy person has practically sufficient amounts of it under normal circumstances. So why bother with it at all? Because this self-production cannot be relied upon one hundred per cent. [16]
Does a healthy person need to monitor their taurine intake?
As already discussed, a healthy person’s body makes enough taurine on its own to cover its needs. It is formed from the amino acid cysteine, and it is found in the brain, heart, and many other parts of the body. In addition, it is also found in common foods of animal origin that are part of a rational, balanced diet. Thus, the average person practically does not need to address their taurine intake. [5]
In some circumstances, however, the body’s own production of taurine is not sufficient. This happens when the body is under excessive stress, for example in times of illness, but also during strenuous physical activity. Athletes and active people may be precisely those who may lack taurine.
Similarly, people who have slightly increased taurine requirements and do not consume taurine in their diet may also be at risk of a slight deficiency. These are most often people who avoid animal based foods, i.e. vegetarians and vegans.
What health benefits does taurine have?
1. Supports sports performance
Taurine is primarily known to most of you as a substance that can improve and streamline athletic performance. It is also known as an ergogenic agent, which are substances that support physical as well as mental activity in various ways. This is also why you will most often come across it in various pre-workouts. [1]
The effect of taurine has not yet been fully investigated, but studies show that it is quite versatile and may act through multiple mechanisms. What are some of those?
- It can affect fat metabolism by promoting its oxidation. During exercise, it will therefore help with its use as a source of energy.
- It helps with the activity of calcium channels and maintaining the balance of ions inside muscle cells. This is important for contraction (contraction) and relaxation (relaxation) of the muscles, which ensures movement of the body itself. [5]
- Taurine is important for the formation of ATP in cells. This is a molecule that is the basic energy currency of your body and it is used for movement, thinking and other activities.
- Overall, it supports energy metabolism in the mitochondria, which are practically your cell’s power plants.
- It is mainly found in the mitochondria of slow-twitch muscle fibres, those that are most involved in movement during endurance activities.
- It also helps to protect mitochondria from the damaging effects of oxidative stress, thus taking care of continuous energy production.[2,16]
How can it affect performance?
- It helps use fat as an energy source during physical activity.
- At the same time, it promotes glycogen sparing (carbohydrate storage in the muscles).
- It improves the quality of performance by streamlining energy production in the cells during activity, which can result in greater speed or intensity.
- The effect is particularly evident in high-intensity activities (HIIT, CrossFit, circuit training, etc.) and endurance sports (running, cycling, swimming, etc.). [5]
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2. Helps with regeneration
Taurine not only directly aids athletic performance, but its beneficial effect on muscle recovery is also well known. They are then better prepared for further activity. It has been shown that it can help reduce muscle damage, muscle soreness as well as speed up overall recovery. By what processes does this happen? [8]
- It can act as an antioxidant, helping to protect muscles from oxidative stress that attacks and damages their cells. [8]
- In some research, it is shown that after taking it, the body has lower levels of indicators of muscle damage, such as creatine kinase. [5,13]
- It can also help reduce inflammation in the muscles, thus speeding up their recovery after a workout.
How does this translate into reality?
- It can help with overall recovery more rapidly after physical activity.
- It has also been shown to reduce muscle fatigue and pain (DOMS).
- This may allow for better athletic results as the recovered muscles are more powerful. [8]
If you’re wondering what other things can help you recover after sports, check out our article 10 Tips on How to Best Regenerate Your Body After a Workout.
3. It is necessary for heart and blood vessel health
Taurine is a useful substance not only for the muscles that take care of the movement of the body, but also for the heart muscle. Along with acting on the blood vessels, it helps to take care of the overall condition of the cardiovascular system. As was the case with muscle, taurine works in several ways for the heart.
- It is involved in the activity of calcium channels, thanks to which the heart muscle can contract efficiently.
- It can lead to increased levels of nitric oxide (NO) – a substance that helps dilate blood vessels, thereby taking care of your blood pressure in a healthy manner. This makes it one of the so-called NO supplements.
- It may have antioxidant effects.
- It also helps maintain the electrolyte balance in your body, thus contributing to the maintenance of normal blood pressure levels.
- It may also work to lower cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. [16]
How can it affect the health and performance of the heart?
Thanks to these properties, taurine can serve as one piece of the puzzle in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, not only in the prevention of the previously mentioned high blood pressure, but also, for example, in the prevention of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Of course, a varied and balanced diet combined with healthy exercise is important in prevention, but taurine can be an interesting addition. [10]
Its effect on the heart can also be reflected in your sports performance. Here too, as with skeletal muscles, it plays a role in the overall performance of the heart. A more powerful heart can work faster and cope with greater and more intense loads.[11]
4. Aids digestion
Taurine is quite versatile and plays an important role in the function of the digestive tract or even the composition of the gut microbiome. Firstly, it is important in the formation of bile acids. These are essential for your body to be able to digest and absorb fats from food.
In addition, however, microorganisms in the intestine convert bile acids into secondary bile acids, which have an antimicrobial effect. This completes the circle, because in this way the healthy bacteria ensure that harmful types of micro-organisms do not multiply in the digestive tract and cause digestive problems.
Therefore, sufficient taurine in the body also manifests itself in the way that the body efficiently digests fats and converts them into energy. Without bile acids, fats would pass through the digestive system unchanged and cause digestive problems such as gas or diarrhoea. Along with this, it takes care of the balance of intestinal microorganisms. This is essential for your health, as a healthy composition of the intestinal microflora is reflected in, for example, functional immunity, good mental health or an appetite or even the efficiency of energy metabolism. [9,12]
5. Supports nervous system function
The brain and nervous system do not escape the effects of taurine either. On the contrary, in these parts of the human body it has quite an extensive effect.
- It plays a role in the formation of nerve cells.
- It has also been shown to have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and to protect nerve tissue from damage.
- It is involved in processes that help prevent the death of nerve cells.
- It is involved in energy metabolism within nerve cells.
- It acts as a neurotransmitter, which means it is involved in the transmission of information between nerve cells and other organs. [4,14]
This combination of functions is reflected in the overall condition of the nervous system. Its main benefit might be the protection of nerve cells from damage. It even appears to have the potential to help with the therapy or prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. [4,14]
6. Helps improve memory as well as concentration
Among other things, the effect on the nervous system is seen in how various cognitive functions – such as learning, concentration or memory – are kept in check. Taurine deficiency has been shown in some research to impair these, and taurine supplementation can help improve them. [15]
These effects are shown in particular by studies dealing with the previously mentioned neurological diseases. However, this effect can also be useful for healthy people who simply want to keep their memory or learning efficiency in good condition. Meanwhile, help with concentration or learning may be appreciated by those who have a heavy mental load on a daily basis.
Nootropics are also used to support cognitive function. For more information about nootropics and their effects, see our article Nootropics: Substances to Improve Concentration and Memory. Which Ones are the Best?
Other health benefits of taurine
- It also has potential as an effective ingredient useful in the anti-ageing approach. By influencing the function of the brain, cardiovascular system or musculoskeletal system, it helps to improve the very areas that you are trying to preserve as much as possible on the road to a long and healthy life. [10]
- Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action, it also plays a role in the activity of the immune system.
- It also affects eye health. It is an important component of the retina. [16]
- It is also involved in the proper function of the male reproductive system.[7]
Could you have a taurine deficiency?
You already know that the average person who has a classic varied diet and is not excessively physically active is unlikely to be deficient in taurine. However, people with greater physical activity or dietary restrictions may lack it. And although this deficiency may not manifest itself in serious acute problems, it may be reflected in, for example, susceptibility to certain diseases or impaired athletic performance. Which people are at risk of a deficiency?
- Vegetarians and vegans due to limiting the main food sources of taurine.
- Those who are suffering from an illness, such as flu, chronic metabolic problems, etc. This is because it puts a greater strain on the body and increases the body’s demands on taurine.
- Athletes and active people who regularly engage in physically demanding activities, and so their body has a greater consumption of this amino acid.
- Older people, because the body’s ability to make taurine decreases with age.
In which foods can taurine be found?
This amino acid is mainly found in foods of animal origin. Plant sources, such as cereals, fruits or vegetables, have a minimal taurine content. [6]
Which foods contain the most taurine?
- seafood
- fish
- red meat
- poultry
- dairy products
Taurine in energy drinks
Although it is not a natural source of this amino acid, you can find it in stores almost as often as meat or fish. Energy drinks, used to stimulate the body and provide energy, commonly contain taurine along with caffeine and other ingredients. [16]
It is used in the drinks mainly because it promises to improve mental performance, attention, delay fatigue or promote athletic performance. When combined with other substances, especially caffeine, their effect has been shown to be even greater than when taken alone.[3]
Energy drinks come in handy as a good energy boost. But be careful of their caffeine content. Especially if you drink several coffees during the day, it’s easy to overdo it with caffeine intake. In an energy drink alone, you can find as much as 150-200 mg of caffeine, while the healthy daily limit is 400 mg.
How should you take taurine?
It is commonly recommended to take 1-3 g of taurine daily. Studies have also used doses up to 6 g, but 3 g is the golden standard, which experts say is both effective and safe. Unnecessarily excessive doses do not lead to better results in any case. [16]
When should you take taurine?
If you are taking taurine long-term, especially to maintain your peak physical and mental performance, you can take it at any time of the day. This is because you gradually build up reserves of it.
However, when you want a boost during a specific activity, give yourself a dose of taurine ideally 1 hour before exercise. Levels in the body increase as early as 10 minutes after consumption and reach their peak just after an hour. [16]
In what form should you take taurine?
Once you have decided that you would like to supplement with this substance, you have several options. To reap its benefits directly, it’s best to reach for a single-ingredient supplement with the aforementioned taurine content. You can choose a powder, but also practical capsules.
As another option, complex supplements are offered that contain a number of other ingredients along with taurine. In this case, however, these are mostly various pre-training and pre-workouts, which are intended as support before starting to exercise. If you want an effective pre-workout boost, you can reach for a Thor blend, for example, or a pre-workout designed specifically for women, Pink Drive.
Can taurine have side effects?
No significant adverse effects have been reported with taurine supplementation and taurine is thus considered safe. A dose of up to 3 g per day is considered safe for long-term use. [16]
There are several known side effects of these energy drinks, such as headaches, heart palpitations, indigestion and sleep problems. However, these cannot be attributed to taurine, but rather to caffeine or a combination of several substances, to excessive intake or simply to an individual’s higher sensitivity to the effect of these ingredients. [16]
What should you remember?
Taurine is at first glance an inconspicuous amino acid, but it is very important in the body. It is involved in energy production, helps protect cells from damage and, thanks to its varied actions, plays a role in the overall fitness of the nervous system, heart and muscles. Fortunately, the body can produce it, but in some situations this production is not enough. Athletes who have a greater need for taurine, or vegans with insufficient taurine intake, can benefit from supplements.
What do you think, is your taurine intake sufficient? If you found this article interesting, don’t keep it to yourself and feel free to share it with your friends and family.
[1] BUZDAĞLI, Y. et al. Taurine supplementation enhances anaerobic power in elite speed skaters: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10286601/
[2] HANSEN, S.H. et al. A role for taurine in mitochondrial function. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2994382/
[3] JAGIM, A.R. et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: energy drinks and energy shots. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9987737/
[4] JAKARIA, Md. et al. Taurine and its analogs in neurological disorders: Focus on therapeutic potential and molecular mechanisms. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6536745/.
[5] KURTZ, J.A. et al. Taurine in sports and exercise. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8152067/
[6] LAIDLAW, S.A. et al. The taurine content of common foodstuffs. – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2352336/
[7] LI, Y. et al. The role of taurine in male reproduction: Physiology, pathology and toxicology. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9889556
[8] MCLEAY, Y. et al. The Effect of Taurine on the Recovery from Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Males. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5745489/
[9] QIAN, W. et al. Effects of Taurine on Gut Microbiota Homeostasis: An Evaluation Based on Two Models of Gut Dysbiosis. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10135931/
[10] SANTULLI, G. et al. Functional Role of Taurine in Aging and Cardiovascular Health: An Updated Overview. – https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/19/4236
[11] TZANG, C.-C. et al. Insights into the cardiovascular benefits of taurine: a systematic review and meta-analysis. – https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-024-00995-5
[12] VALDES, A.M. et al. Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. – https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2179
[13] WANG, Y. et al. Effect of taurine in muscle damage markers and inflammatory cytokines in running exercise. – https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.1008060/full
[14] WU, J.-Y. - PRENTICE, H. Role of taurine in the central nervous system. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2994408/
[15] Roles of taurine in cognitive function of physiology, pathologies and toxication - ScienceDirect. – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0024320519305107
[16] Taurine benefits, dosage, and side effects. – https://examine.com/supplements/taurine/?srsltid=AfmBOoqNAcHDKWJCek8vZbPok1JJNcpqv-HB3RwDbZgSJFe_jjl_cB2h
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