Taurine
If you’ve ever drunk an energy drink, chances are you’ve consumed taurine. Taurine has been widely used in the dietary supplement industry for decades, yet it has received newfound popularity thanks to its inclusion of seemingly every energy enhancing drink available today.
Taurine is found in many different foods, with its highest levels being in meats.
What it does
While taurine offers numerous potential benefits, the majority of these are found in non-healthy adults. In healthy adults, taurine has been found to increase fat oxidation[1], reduce oxidative stress and decrease blood pressure[2].
How it works
Taurine is utilized by the body as a building block for muscle tissue. It helps the formation of bile from the digestion of fats, and improves the integrity of cell membranes, allowing for a better transmission of neurotransmitters to carry signals between nerve cells.
Taurine is not a supplement that will make a marked difference in performance, but it may help increase athletic performance to a small degree.
Dosing
Suggested daily doses of taurine range from 500mg-2000mg/day. A maximum dose of 3g/day is suggested to prevent any sort of side effects or toxicity.