Cardiac Health Brain Function Energy Memory Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid that is the most abundant free amino acid in many tissues. Taurine is different than most other amino acids because it is not incorporated into proteins, but it does play many roles in the body, including bile acid conjugation, detoxification, membrane stabilization, osmoregulation, and modulation of excitatory neurotransmission and intracellular calcium levels. The mean taurine intake in humans is estimated to be around 60 mg daily, but supplementation can far exceed this amount and readily increases taurine levels in many tissues. This article will briefly cover some of the many possible utilities of taurine supplementation. Exercise Exercise causes a significant reduction of taurine levels in skeletal muscle, as does aging 1-3. In these conditions, supplemental taurine improves exercise performance and electrical and contractile properties of skeletal muscle in rodents, respectively 1, 3. In
