Taurine in Pre-Workout: Overlooked But Important?
When you are looking at the ingredients for a reliable pre-workout supplement, you likely look for the usual and reliable ones such as caffeine, beta-alanine, and citrulline. Taurine is another one that is usually included in energy-focused pre-workouts, but that one may cause some eyebrows to go up.
“Isn’t that one bad for you? What is that in there for, anyway?” Whether the concerns are about what someone may have heard about it or it is simply taken for granted, knowing more about it may not only put your mind at ease but actually serve you well for future training sessions.
What Taurine Does in Pre-Workout (and Why It Matters)
What Is Taurine?
Taurine is actually a sulfur-containing conditionally essential amino acid that is naturally found in the body. One of taurine’s main functions is to support cellular hydration by pulling water into the muscle cells, which can help promote recovery from exercise. Acting as an osmolyte, taurine can also help regulate the flow of minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and sodium.
Taurine can also be found in food sources such as seafood and some meats. It can also be found in many popular supplements, as a product all its own, and in many of the popular energy drinks.
Why Taurine Is Used in Pre-Workout Formulas
Its role in hydration is one reason why you see taurine in pre workout formulas, but the taurine benefits in pre workout don’t stop there. You may notice that whenever a product has caffeine or caffeine anhydrous, it will usually have taurine as well. That is because they have been found to work well together. Consuming high amounts of caffeine may usually tend to result in a “crash” feeling once it wears off. When paired with taurine, not only does it counter that crash, it can also combat the jitters that may come with taking in caffeine before you train. (1) That taurine and caffeine synergy can provide the best of what the athlete wants with minimal side effects that could come with taking caffeine alone.
Evidence-Based Benefits of Taurine for Athletes
It can be a great ally for endurance athletes. Research published in 2022 determined that fitness enthusiasts can use taurine for endurance and stamina. It can postpone fatigue by delaying blood glucose concentration. (2) Furthermore, taurine works in an antioxidant role by scavenging free radicals in some tissue such as the heart and eyes. It can also provide additional protection in stress conditions and help in the creation of an effective adaptative response to stresses such as training or performance in a sport. (3)
If you are someone that is trying to minimize caffeine but still want the benefits of taurine, then you will pleased to know that it can also be found in many stim-free pre workouts, and the results are not just reserved for cardiovascular or endurance athletes. Taurine was determined to help enhance anaerobic power in speed skaters by testing their countermovement vertical jump strength.(4) The improvement shown in that study could transfer to strength athletes such as powerlifters, strongmen, or other athletes focusing on heavy weight training.
Recommended Doses & Timing
As is the case with many popular ingredients, knowing what to take and when to take it helps make it as effective as possible. Humans can safely consume as much as 10 grams of taurine a day, but that much has not been shown to improve benefits and is not necessary to see positive results. Endurance athletes may see results from taking six grams, broken up into two-gram servings throughout the day. However, strength training athletes could benefit from taking dosages as low as .05 grams. (5)
Many fitness enthusiasts want to achieve their best in both, which is why many pre workouts provide a range of one to two grams per serving. This amount has been proven to be both safe and effective, whether the pre workout has caffeine or is stimulant free.
Is Taurine Safe? Myths & Misconceptions
There have been concerns raised about the safety and side effects of taurine. Specifically, the concern has been about how it is included in canned energy drinks and how it could negatively impact younger people.
The dosages and ways taurine can be consumed have been found to be safe for healthy adults, and even has been declared “generally safe” by the Food and Drug Administration. However, cases of headaches and gastrointestinal discomfort have been reported as side effects. Some users have even reported dealing with diarrhea and nausea after consuming taurine. People that are taking any form of medication should also consult their physicians about adding taurine into their personal health plans before using it.
Another myth was created due to the word itself. Taurine comes from the Latin word taurus (bull), which used to be isolated from ox bile. This led to claims that taurine came from bull sperm, which is completely inaccurate.
The caffeine is actually what serves as the stimulant in these high-powered drinks, not the taurine. Yes, these drinks can be taken excessively and should be consumed with care, but the issues that have been called out should not be blamed on taurine.
The taurine that is used in preworkouts and energy drinks is synthetic but is still proven to be safe for consumption and a benefit for those with fitness goals. Transparent Labs preworkouts are free from artificial additives, sweeteners, and dyes, making them an even safer option for consumers.
Should Taurine Be in Your Pre-Workout?
Now that you know more about what taurine does, doesn’t do, and how it can help athletes, the question now becomes “should you take it?” That answer depends on your personal goals and needs. If the athlete has strength or endurance goals, then taurine can certainly be worth including. If the goal is simply fitness maintenance or general health and wellness, then you don’t need taurine, even though it could still serve you well if you choose to add it later.
Taurine is naturally paired with caffeine, but it can be beneficial with other ingredients as well. Taurine and Vitamin C can positive impact antioxidant capacity even more (6) Endurance athletes can also consume taurine alongside creatine to improve time to exhaustion (7).
In conclusion, taurine on its own has been proven to be generally safe for most healthy people. When paired with other ingredients for the right reasons, it can be a valuable asset in helping you achieve your fitness goals.
References
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Effect of taurine and potential interactions with caffeine on cardiovascular function. Stephen W Schaffer 1, Kayoko Shimada, Chian Ju Jong, Takashi Ito, Junichi Azuma, Kyoko Takahashi
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Taurine as a Natural Antioxidant: From Direct Antioxidant Effects to Protective Action in Various Toxicological Models. Peter F Surai 1,2,3,4,*, Katie Earle-Payne 5, Michael T Kidd 6
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Taurine supplementation enhances endurance capacity by delaying blood glucose decline during prolonged exercise in rats. Shoichi Komine 1 2, Teruo Miyazaki 3, Keisuke Ishikura 4, Takashi Matsui 5 6, Takashi Miyoshi 7, Song-Gyu Ra 8, Akira Honda 3 9, Hideaki Soya 5 6, Shumpei Miyakawa 10, Hajime Ohmori 11
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Taurine supplementation enhances anaerobic power in elite speed skaters: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Yusuf Buzdağlı 1, Cemre Didem Eyipınar 2, Furkan Öget 3, Erdinç Şıktar 4, Scott C Forbes 5, Aslıhan Tekin 6
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The Dose Response of Taurine on Aerobic and Strength Exercises: A Systematic Review. Qi Chen 1, Zheng Li 1, Ricardo A Pinho 2, Ramesh C Gupta 3, Ukadike C Ugbolue 4, Anand Thirupathi 1,*, Yaodong Gu 1,*
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Effects of Taurine and Vitamin C on the Improvement of Antioxidant Capacity, Immunity and Hypoxia Tolerance in Gibel Carp (Carrassius auratus gibeilo). Leimin Zhang 1, Lu Zhang 2, Hualiang Liang 1 3, Dongyu Huang 3, Mingchun Ren 1 3
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Effect of Taurine Combined With Creatine on Repeated Sprinting Ability After Exhaustive Exercise Under Hot and Humid Conditions. Peiqi Yu 1 2 3, Yongzhao Fan 4, Xiangyu Wang 5, Hao Wu 1 2 3
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