How Does Taurine Benefit Bodybuilders?
The world of fitness and strength is taken by taurine as the next super supplement for bodybuilders and athletes.
The word ‘taurine’ is no stranger to those who take energy drinks and supplements regularly. It is a primary ingredient mentioned on the label of your supplement products.
The name taurine has both Greek and Latin origin meaning “bull.” The reason for this origin is because it was originally found and isolated in an Ox.
To clarify some unpleasant rumors, bear in mind that taurine has no relation to the semen, urine, or any other body fluids of an Ox.
What is Taurine?
Taurine is an amino acid occurring in your body naturally in high concentrations in the white blood cells, the central nervous system, skeletal muscle, and even in your heart muscles. As a major component of bile, it is mainly present in the large intestine and is about 0.1% of the body weight.
It is found in many food products and energy drinks, which many people take as a supplement. It is often referred to as a ‘wonder molecule.’
Some of the primary benefits of taurine include improving sports performance and reducing the risks of diseases.
A typical diet that includes fish and meat will have about 50 to 200 mg of taurine. This is also found in sea plants and algae besides our body creating taurine on their own.
Vegans may not get this daily dosage of taurine in their daily diet, which is why they consider taking taurine supplements. The main reason for taking taurine is its effect on improving the health of the heart, brain, fat metabolism, and muscle function.
One of the best things about taking taurine, without a doubt, is the absence of side effects. Like any other supplements, you only need to know the correct dosage per day to avoid health problems.
Is Taurine an Essential or Non-Essential Amino Acid?
Essential amino acids are those compounds that our body cannot produce. We depend on several foods and drinks to supplement them to our body.
Some common examples of essential amino acids are histidine, leucine, lysine, threonine, methionine, valine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan.
Non-essential amino acids, on the other hand, are those amino acids that are naturally created by our body. They are conditionally essential since our body needs the external supplement under various conditions.
Most people who are undergoing physical stress fails to produce these types of compounds from the body.
Hence they take non-essential amino acids externally to meet the demands. Some examples of non-essential amino acids are taurine, cysteine, glutamine, and arginine.
Since our body naturally produces taurine, it is safe to say that it is a non-essential amino acid.
What are The Benefits of Taurine For Bodybuilders?
It may fight diabetes
Taurine may possibly control sugar in our body and combat diabetes. Studies show that diabetic patients have a low level of taurine in their body which means, increasing taurine levels with external supplements will possibly fight diabetes.
Taurine lowers blood sugar levels, hence improving various risk factors related to sugar in our body.
It may improve heart health
Taurine has the possibility of reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies have shown that a higher taurine level is related to lower rates of heart diseases and high blood pressure.
The presence or intake of taurine lowers high blood pressure by reducing blood flow resistance in the blood vessel walls. It is also known to minimize nerve impulses in the brain responsible for the increase of blood pressure.
The intake of taurine has shown a reduction of artery stiffness, making it easier for the heart to pump blood to the body. It has shown tremendous effects in reducing the risk factors of heart diseases by improving cholesterol and lowering blood pressure.
It increases strength
The supplementation of taurine increases muscular strength by augmenting muscle taurine levels. It boosts cell hydration making your muscles appear fuller, and it also supplies indirect stimulus for anabolism.
It increases muscle cell volume
Taurine is known to be a regulator of cell volume acting as an osmolyte. Osmolyte is a compound that regulates the fluid balance.
Taurine works by optimizing cellular hydration and maximizing muscle functions. This is how taurine acts as a cell volumizer as it makes the muscle appear fuller.
It extends your workout time
A primary reason for bodybuilders to take taurine as a supplement is its role in increasing endurance during your high-intense workout sessions. The rise of taurine levels has shown an increase of up to 50% in run time to exhaustion.
It increases the rate of recovery
Taurine being a potent antioxidant and membrane stabilizer alleviates the adverse effects of damages in the muscle cells. Taurine has shown a significant reduction of inflammation in cell damages and has a high rate of defense against muscle damage from exercises.
It increases focus
The presence of taurine in the brain indicates that it plays a crucial role in this area. By altering the actions of inhibitory neurotransmitters, taurine-based supplements have shown an increase in brain performance.
It reduces stress
Taurine has the factor that calms the central nervous system by reducing stress and anxiety level. A lower level of taurine may lead your brain to chronic stress levels.
Safety Concerns and Side Effects
As mentioned earlier, taurine has adverse side effects when taken in the correct doses.
While there are several cases of deaths linked to the presence of taurine in energy drinks, there are no direct effects that point to taurine. It is common sense to know that excessive intake of anything will be harmful to the human body.
Like any other amino acid, excessive taurine dosage in your daily diet may lead to higher risks of kidney problems.
Dosage Recommendations
The safe dosage of daily intake of taurine is around 500 to 2000 mg per day. Depending on how much your body system can take, there are cases where more than 2000 mg can be tolerated. However, you should take the maximum dosage after consultation with your physician.
The easiest way to take taurine supplement is in powder or tablet form, which is also cost-effective.
Some natural sources to obtain taurine are meat, fish, and dairy. If these are not enough for your daily dose, you can turn to external supplements and energy drinks.
Taurine, or the so-called ‘wonder molecule,’ has the ability to provide your body with many health benefits and physical improvements.
Whether you are a bodybuilder, an athlete, or a fitness guru, it is natural that you would want to improve your overall health performance and optimize your physical strength. And taurine is a safe option with less or no side effects.
Two primary things you need to keep in mind are maintaining daily dosage and keeping track of your body functions.
