The sport of bodybuilding requires enthusiasts to develop lean muscle while shedding excess body fat. You cannot acquire the body of your dreams with diet and exercise alone. Supplementation is a crucial part of any bodybuilding regime and needs to be adhered to religiously. It is an adequate combination of exercise, diet, relaxation and supplementation that helps you reach your goals. The market is filled with different types of supplements these days, each claiming to unfold a variety of benefits for the human body and mind. However, you must buy a supplement that is likely to suit your body’s specific requirements and will go a long way in benefiting you.
Taurine is a non-essential amino acid that functions with glycine and gamma-aminobutyric acid as a neuroinhibitory transmitter. Taurine, along with methionine, cystine and cysteine contains sulphur and is a major component of bile acids, which are used to absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins in the body. It is the second most abundant component of the amino acid pool found in the body after glutamine. Taurine is not converted into proteins like amino acids and is found in abundance in many tissues of the skeletal and cardiac muscles and the brain. It helps regulate the heart beat, maintain cell membrane, is a stimulator of bile acids and prevents the over-activity of the brain cells.
Mechanism:
Taurine supplements enhance the process of synthesizing Taurine from the amino acid methionine and cysteine. It is integrated into chenodeoxychloic acid, one of the most abundant bile acids where it emulsifies the dietary lipid in the intestine, promoting digestion. It enhances the passage of sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium ions to cells in order to electrically stabilize the cell membranes. It is the building block of all the amino acids in the system and comprises of 50% of the total free amino acid pool of the heart.
Food Sources:
Taurine is naturally occurring in the body but can also be obtained from food sources such as meat, eggs, fish proteins and dairy products. If your diet is completely vegetarian, you might have a deficiency of Taurine which can be overcome by taking Taurine supplements.
Benefits of Taurine Supplements:
Taurine plays a significant role in reducing the risk of heart disease, lowers Blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the body.
It aids in the proper functioning of the digestive system to enhance fat metabolism
Cardiovascular Health: It reduces the tendency of stickiness in platelets found in the blood cells which tend to form blood clots in the arteries to the heart or brain, thereby resulting in heart attack or stroke.
Cystic Fibrosis: This disease is known to affect the pancreas, respiratory system and sweat glands. It results in the malfunctioning of pancreas causing chronic fatty diarrhea called steatorrhea. Taurine helps cure this disease.
Taurine levels in people with diabetes and cancer are extremely low. Adequate supplementation can help provide health benefits to patients suffering from these diseases.
It also enhances sperm motility, cellular growth, membrane stabilization and bile acid conjugation.
Dosage:
This depends on the purpose for which you are taking the supplement. Doctors usually recommend 1.5 g to 6 g or more on a daily basis.
Side effects:
There are no reported side effects of Taurine Supplementation till date.
Taurine and Bodybuilding:
Taurine Supplementation plays an important role in helping bodybuilding enthusiasts. Taurine leads to an increase in nitric oxide production, a gas which is present for an instant each time the muscle contracts and blood vessels enlarge. It is known to widen the blood channels resulting in increased blood flow to the muscle cells responsible for greater oxygen supply and nutrient delivery. It helps increase the efficiency of rigorous workout sessions and enhances the overall performance.
Before taking any nutritional supplement, you must consult a doctor in order to determine if it is suited for your health or not. You also need to make a note of your body weight, body type and any ailments or diseases you might be suffering from such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, cancer, arthritis etc. before taking any supplement. In order to reach your goals faster, you must follow a regular exercise routine, take a well balanced diet, adequate rest and complement it with proper supplementation necessary for the growth and development of your body.
