Why is there taurine in energy drinks?

There’s an old Scottie dog with a cane. Naturally, he envisions the skateboard in front of him – and beyond that, a skate ramp. Will this adventure end in disaster? Fear not, because he’s a cartoon in a Red Bull commercial – and this venerable dog has a can of the brand’s signature energy drink. After knocking it down like a student at a party, he performs a double loop and nonchalantly grabs his board with one hand (or paw, rather). “Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? he says.

It turns out that the Red Bull ad from earlier this year is oddly prescient. This week, scientists revealed that the amino acid taurine, which is often added to energy drinks, appears to have impressive effects properties that prolong life and improve health in some mammals. Although the results have not yet been replicated in humans, it is hoped that they maybe soon.

But why is this supplement added to energy drinks in the first place? And could drinking more of it be beneficial?

A forgotten hero

Taurine is an amino acid commonly found in meat, fish and eggs – it is rare in plants, but has been found in smaller amounts in algae, bacteria and fungi. It is also sometimes sold as a supplement, which is popular with bodybuilders and athleteswho think it can help them control their body temperature and reduce muscle fatigue during exercise.

Although taurine is not actually used to make protein in the body, unlike other amino acids, it plays a number of roles, particularly in the central nervous system – where it regulates the amount of calcium in nerve cells and controls inflammation, among other things. In fact, taurine makes up about 0.1% of the body weight of animals. It was first isolated in the 1820s from the bile of European cattle (Boss Bull), from which he takes its name.

For the most recent study, an international team of researchers tested the effects of a daily dose on middle-aged mice and rhesus macaques – they were 14 months and 15 years old respectively at the time of the trial. The amount of taurine in the blood of mice, monkeys and humans naturally declines with age, so the team was curious if an extra dose of the amino acid might be beneficial.

The results were startling. Animals that received taurine looked significantly healthier and younger – their muscles, brains, immune systems and other organs functioned better – than those that did not receive the amino acid supplement. Importantly, the lifespan of mice treated with taurine increased by 10-12%, with monkeys experiencing a similar boost. If taking extra taurine later in life has the same benefits in humans, that could equate to nearly an extra decade.

“I thought it was almost too good to be true,” said Henning Wackerhage, lecturer in molecular exercise physiology at the University of Aberdeen and one of the study’s 50 co-authors. . told the BBC.