What is the difference between caffeine and taurine

However, since taurine is created naturally in the human body, a balanced diet supplies all you need. In fact, it's just the opposite, as the ingredient is added to popular energy drinks as a nervous system depressant and just has a stimulating effect on the brain. When you ingest taurine, it suppresses the neurotransmitter receptors responsible for triggering excitatory effects in your brain.

In other words, it helps you to calm down. In fact, taurine has a very similar effect to the well-known central nervous system suppressant gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA - a neural messenger responsible for calming. One reason why many people like energy drinks with added taurine is because they are under the impression that it can boost cardiovascular endurance.

However, this is not exactly the case. Although there is a small number of studies that show modest benefits of supplementing taurine on endurance and stamina - they all involve only a limited number of participants, though. In fact, some studies are also directly sponsored by energy drink manufacturers as well, making their results feel less reliable.

There are also several studies that demonstrate minimal or no benefit at all. For example, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reported that although consuming an energy drink with taurine prior to a workout has become increasingly popular, the truth is that it had no effect on time-to-exhaustion or perceived exertion at high intensity. Another common selling point made by energy drink manufacturers that add taurine to their products is that taurine decreases the amount of micro-damage that occurs through vigorous exercise.

Again, the studies that suggest taurine can prevent exercise-induced muscle damage use extremely small sample sizes. In one case, as few as 11 participants. A few health perks have been attributed to taurine, including a reduced risk of heart disease, boosting exercise performance by reducing fatigue, and improving blood sugar levels via Healthline. However, when it comes to energy drinks, researchers say taurine may not actually be the ingredient that boosts your energy level.

One study called it more of a "relaxing" amino acid, and said it could contribute to the crash you experience later on, according to Drink Hydrant. Caffeine differs from taurine from the get-go, as it is a stimulant that directly blocks the part of the brain that makes you feel sleepy via Drink Hydrant. It also can increase adrenaline levels and spark other neurotransmitters in the brain that help with alertness. Some perks of caffeine are added energy, along with increased exercise performance and heart health properties, as with taurine.

But you have to be careful about your caffeine consumption, as overdoing it can cause dehydration, feelings of anxiety, or sleeplessness. However, it does not offer any nutritional value. On the other hand, Taurine might help in the overall neurological development in human beings. Health Canada identifies it as a byproduct of the sulphurous amino acids cysteine and methionine, that is essentially produced naturally and is most commonly found in meats, dairy products and fish.

However, you could fetch Taurine from various dietary supplements as well. It is also known for its antioxidant properties and because it helps to support cardiovascular function. Both of these ingredients for energy drinks for athletes are safe at lower concentrations but pose to be a threat at higher concentrations. Let us have a look at this. Caffeine is known to have some side effects like an increased heart rate, coupled with restlessness, depressions, anxiety, tension and similar issues.

According to the American Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs , there are two restrictions of the daily consumption of caffeine. You could either have 3 cups of coffee of 8 oz. In the case of taurine, Health Canada considers you can go up to as high as 3, mg of the ingredient per day. Ideally, this is known as the safe limit of taurine. Anything in excess of 3, mg of taurine per day is excreted out from the body by the kidneys.