Effect of Taurine Supplement on Aerobic and Anaerobic Outcomes: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Abstract

Background: Taurine is a well-known free amino acid that has gained prominence in recent years despite its little or no role in protein formation. Few studies on the ergogenic effect of taurine exist with inconsistent results. The question on whether performance markers show the benefit from the taurine remains open. This study aimed to reach a consensus about whether taurine supplementation is effective on aerobic (time to exhaustion, VO2max, and rating of perceived exertion) and anaerobic (jumping, blood lactate level) performance outputs. Methods: Google Scholar, Pubmed databases, clinical trial websites, and grey literature were reviewed until November 2021. Mean differences (MDs) were pooled using random or fixed-effects models according to the heterogeneity degree of related outcomes. Although 17 studies were detected for the meta-analysis between 2001-2021, 15 studies were grouped. Only randomized controlled trials (single or double-blind) were considered. Results: Taurine supplementation had a significant effect on vertical (MD =3.60; 95% CI 2.32 to 4.89, p <0.00001) and countermovement (MD = 8.50; 95% CI 4.78 to 12.22, p <0.00001) jump performance when compared to a placebo group. Taurine supplementation had no significant effect on VO2max level and rate of perceived exertion (respectively, MD = −0.54 ml/kg/min; 95% CI −6.84 to 5.75, p=0.87; MD = −0.24; 95% CI −0.74 to 0.27, p=0.35) when compared to a placebo group. Conclusion: Taurine improves potentially jumping performance and time to exhaustion.