How we rate
“Strong” = several concordant meta-analyses or systematic reviews. “Moderate” = one synthesis, or several controlled trials. “Limited” = early trials only. The rating is about the quality of the studies, not about how useful the supplement is.
Taurine
Amino acid found in energy drinks: a small endurance gain after a single dose, and slightly lower blood pressure, especially in at-risk individuals.
Benefits
- Slightly improves endurance: an effect of 0.40 in a meta-analysis of 10 studies, with a single dose of 1 to 6 g, without the dose changing the result
- Yields a 1.7% gain on a 3 km run in trained middle-distance runners, after 1 g of taurine (placebo-controlled trial)
- Extends severe-intensity cycling exercise time by 1.7 minutes (17.7 versus 16.0 minutes under placebo) after a 50 mg/kg dose
- Lowers blood pressure by about 3 mmHg on average (meta-analysis of 7 studies); in 120 people with prehypertension, 1.6 g per day for 12 weeks lowered systolic pressure by 7.2 mmHg, versus 2.6 under placebo
- In individuals with metabolic syndrome risk factors, lowers fasting blood glucose and triglycerides (meta-analysis of 25 trials, 1,024 participants)
- After eccentric exercise, 14 days of taurine reduced muscle soreness and markers of muscle damage in 21 young men
Precautions
Meta-analyses and the trials that investigated them do not report notable adverse effects. A risk assessment considers the absence of adverse effects well established up to 3 g per day in healthy adults; beyond that, data are insufficient to conclude on the long term. Beware of accumulation with energy drinks: they often contain 4,000 mg of taurine per litre, and drinking more than 500 mL exceeds the reference value. Results on performance are contradictory: the 2021 review considers the data too limited and too varied to conclude, and trials often involve 7 to 17 people. Effects on blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids come mainly from sick or at-risk individuals (prehypertension, diabetes, obesity, liver disease); nothing shows that they apply to a healthy person. No trial in this file measures muscle gain.
Recommended dosage
1 to 3 g per day (up to 6 g tested); for exercise, take 1 to 3 hours before
How to take it
- For endurance: a single dose of 1 to 6 g was sufficient in the meta-analysis of 10 studies; neither the dose nor the number of days of supplementation changed the effect.
- Timing: 1 to 3 hours before exercise, according to the review of 19 studies in athletes; in the 3 km trial, the race started 2 hours after supplementation.
- For blood pressure: 1.6 g per day for 12 weeks in the largest trial (120 people); meta-analyses cover 0.5 to 6 g per day, from one day to one year.
- Muscle does not fill up: 5 g per day for 7 days did not increase muscle taurine, whereas blood levels are multiplied by 13 after ingestion.
- With caffeine: in a trial of 7 players, the combination did not perform better than taurine alone on repeated cycling sprints.
- What does not work every time: 1.66 g in 11 trained cyclists and 6 g in 17 men on a high-intensity race did not improve performance.
Did you know?
In a small trial on seven team sport players, taurine alone (50 mg/kg) performed better than caffeine on three cycling sprints, and the combination of the two did not perform better than taurine alone.
What the studies say
A meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials (1024 participants) demonstrated that taurine supplementation significantly reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and triglycerides in individuals presenting factors related to metabolic syndrome. Dose-dependent reductions were observed for diastolic blood pressure and fasting blood glucose. No significant adverse effects were reported, making taurine a potential dietary addition for individuals at risk of or with metabolic syndrome.
Tzang CC, Chi LY, Lin LH, Lin TY, Chang KV, Wu WT, Özçakar L. — Nutrition & diabetes (2024) — View the source study
For information only: not a substitute for medical advice. Dietary supplements are not a replacement for a varied, balanced diet. Learn more