![]() ![]() Some studies in humans do suggest that the taurine may improve athletic performance and perhaps even mental performance. Still, it’s not clear whether the taurine helps this effect or is working against it. What happens when you add sugar and guarana into the mix too? Does taurine still inhibit sleep or does it start promoting it again? Most of the time, energy drinks do seem to promote energy. It isn’t specific to energy drinks either, so it doesn’t consider the amounts we’re actually consuming – nor all the other ingredients. Simple enough, but that’s just one study and it focused on flies rather than humans. Energy drinks tend to have much more caffeine than taurine, which should mean they promote energy. If it stacked in favor of caffeine, sleep is inhibited. In particular, if the ratio is stacked in favor of taurine, sleep gets promoted. If taurine and caffeine are consumed at the same time, the effect is influenced by the ratio of the two. One interesting study tapped into this, showing that on its own, taurine actually increases sleep, while caffeine decreases sleep. We’re still learning exactly what’s going on with taurine, caffeine, and energy. The same chemical can have different effects depending on the situation and what else we’re ingesting at the same time. This is partly because our bodies are complicated. If you search online, you’ll find plenty of people saying that taurine gives you an energy boost – plus some claiming the opposite. This approach has been so effective that consumers now associate taurine with energy – to the extent that we often assume that energy drinks with taurine are more effective than those without. This creates more variation between the drinks and hopefully gives you an energy kick at the same time. ![]() The trick is to turn to other ingredients, like guarana and taurine, ones that could have extra energy impacts. Most of us are already getting plenty of it from coffee and even in some of our foods. Simply increasing the caffeine content isn’t the answer, as the different companies would just end up in an arms race over caffeine.īesides, too much caffeine is dangerous. Why Is It In Energy Drinks? There’s A Marketing AngleĬompanies often try to make their energy drinks as powerful as possible. At the end of the day, the structure of taurine will be the same whether our bodies make it or whether it is synthetically produced. However, it’s not clear whether our bodies can tell the difference. This does raise a familiar debate though, are synthetic chemicals good for us? Many people feel that natural is always better. This makes the amino acid fine for vegetarians and vegans (in fact, there are many vegan energy drinks). Instead, energy drink companies synthesize the taurine found in their drinks. But, we don’t still get taurine that way. This is where the name taurine comes from. It’s true that taurine was initially isolated from ox bile. That’s enough to put you off your energy drink for life, right? Urban myths say that taurine comes from bull urine or semen. ![]() Taurine is present in some foods too, so you’re not likely to ever be deficient in it. When we do need it, our bodies produce it. This means that we don’t need it most of the time. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects too.ĭespite this, taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid. Taurine does play some important roles, such as regulating minerals and helping with digestion. It’s found throughout our bodies and we naturally produce it, meaning that we don’t need to get taurine from our food. “As a result, emergency room visits by young people in connection with energy drinks are rising.”Īny research that compares the effects of consuming energy drinks versus caffeine alone provides important evidence for public health advocates who have urged the energy drink companies to stop targeting youth with these potentially harmful products, Harris added.The Role Of Taurine In Energy Drinks What Is Taurine? “On top of that, energy drinks are highly marketed to adolescent boys in ways that encourage risky behavior, including rapid and excessive consumption,” she said. Some of these ingredients (including taurine and guarana) have not been FDA-approved as safe in the food supply, and few studies have tested the effects of caffeine consumption together with these ‘novelty’ ingredients,” she said by email. “However, energy drinks also contain a proprietary ‘energy blend,’ which typically consists of stimulants and other additives. Harris from University of Connecticut's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity in Storrs, who wasn’t involved in the study. "The energy drink industry claims that their products are safe because they have no more caffeine than a premium coffee house coffee,” said Dr. ![]()
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