Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid, but it is often referred to as an amino acid, a chemical that is a required building block of protein. It is a major constituent of bile and can be found in the large intestine, and accounts for up to 0.1% of total human body weight. Taurine is named after the Latin taurus  which means bull or ox, as it was first isolated from ox bile in 1827 by German scientists Friedrich Tiedemann and Leopold Gmelin.

How does taurine work?

Researchers aren’t exactly sure why taurine seems to help congestive heart failure (CHF). There is some evidence that it improves the function of the left ventricle, one of the chambers of the heart. Taurine might also improve heart failure because it seems to lower blood pressure and calm the sympathetic nervous system, which is often too active in people with high blood pressure and CHF. The sympathetic nervous system is the part of the nervous system that responds to stress.

Functions   

Taurine may improve blood sugar control and have benefits against diabetes.

Taurine may have benefits for athletic performance.

Research suggests that it can:

Cause muscles to work harder and for a longer duration in animals

Increase muscles'ability to contract and produce force in animals

Remove waste products that lead to fatigue and cause the well-known “muscle burn” in humans

Protect muscles from cell damage and oxidative stress in humans

Increase fat burning during exercise in humans

In mice, it reduced fatigue and muscle damage during a workout

In human studies, trained athletes who supplemented with taurine experienced improved exercise performance. Cyclists and runners were able to cover longer distances with less fatigue

Another study supports its role in reducing muscle damage. Participants placed on a muscle-damaging weight lifting routine found that it helped reduce markers of damage and muscle soreness

In addition to these performance benefits, it may have benefits for weight loss by increasing the use of fat for fuel. In cyclists, supplementing with 1.66 grams of taurine increased fat burning by 16% 

Taurine Nutritional significance        

Taurine occurs naturally in fish and meat. The mean daily intake from omnivore diets was determined to be around 58 mg (range from 9 to 372 mg) and to be low or negligible from a strict vegan diet. In another study, taurine intake was estimated to be generally less than 200 mg/day, even in individuals eating a high-meat diet. According to another study, taurine consumption was estimated to vary between 40 and 400 mg/day. 

Energy drinks

Taurine is an ingredient in energy drinks. Many contain 1000 mg per serving, and some as much as 2000 mg. The addition of taurine is used as a nervous system depressant.

Magnesium taurate

Magnesium taurate, the magnesium salt of taurine, is a mineral supplement of magnesium.