Bulk Nutrition - Taurine Information by David Tolson

Introduction

Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid that is the most abundant free amino acid in many tissues. Taurine is different than most other amino acids because it is not incorporated into proteins, but it does play many roles in the body, including bile acid conjugation, detoxification, membrane stabilization, osmoregulation, and modulation of excitatory neurotransmission and intracellular calcium levels. The mean taurine intake in humans is estimated to be around 60 mg daily, but supplementation can far exceed this amount and readily increases taurine levels in many tissues. This article will briefly cover some of the many possible utilities of taurine supplementation.

Exercise

Exercise causes a significant reduction of taurine levels in skeletal muscle, as does aging [1-3]. In these conditions, supplemental taurine improves exercise performance and electrical and contractile properties of skeletal muscle in rodents, respectively [1, 3]. In healthy rats, taurine increased running time to exhaustion from 73.8 minutes to 98.8 minutes. Additionally, the weights of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were increased, but the difference was not statistically significant [1]. A beverage containing taurine, caffeine, and simple carbs increases endurance performance in humans, and a significant portion of these effects is due to the taurine alone [1, 4]. However, it has not been established if it was due to a synergistic relationship, as taurine-only studies have not yet been conducted in humans. Taurine also counteracts exercise-induced weakness in a mouse model of dystrophy, and is superior to creatine in this regard [5], and it protects muscle tissue from ischemia-reperfusion injury [6]. Among the postulated mechanisms of action are membrane stabilization and modulation of ion channels or calcium ion storage capacity [1, 3-4], although there could be a wide variety of reasons for this effect (such as osmoregulation).

The role of Taurine in heart health

The concentrations of taurine in the heart are very high, and it constitutes over 50% of the total free amino acid pool [7]. Among the multiple roles it plays are protecting from excessive or inadequate intracellular calcium, acting as a membrane stabilizer, and protecting from injury and oxidative stress [7-8].

Neuroprotection

The brain is another area where taurine is particularly important. Taurine plays an essential role in both brain development and regeneration and promotes the survival and proliferation of neurons [19]. Taurine is a potent neuroprotectant [21-25]. Among other things, this neuroprotection is due to regulation of calcium homeostasis and apoptosis, direct scavenging of toxins, and a reduction of oxidative stress [23-26].

Heavy metals & toxins

Taurine protects many of the body's organs against toxicity and oxidative stress due to various substances.

Skin health

In vitro, taurine supports recovery from burn injured skin [51-52]. As an osmolyte, taurine helps maintain hydration in the epidermis when it is exposed to a dry environment [53], but the effect of oral taurine supplementation on skin hydration and healing has not been determined.

Dosage & toxicity

Toxicity is not a concern with taurine, as no signs of toxicity have been indicated in animal studies [58]. For general health and increased exercise performance, 1-4 g daily is commonly used (with at least 1 g prior to exercise), while most clinical trials have utilized dosages in the range of 3-6 g daily.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this article, please email dvdtlsn@bulknutrition.com.

No part of this article may be reproduced in any form without the permission of David Tolson or Mike McCandless.

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References

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