investigated the electrophysiologic effects of caffeine and taurine on the heart. Though the exact mechanism triggered by energy drinks that may induce an irregular heartbeat is not well described, a recent study by Ellerman et al. However, the amount of taurine found in energy drinks far exceeds the standard amount of taurine typically consumed – promoting the concern for possible adverse cardiac effects mediated by excessive taurine ingestion, especially when combined with caffeine found in the typical energy drink.

In fact, taurine is often regarded as an antiarrhythmic agent lessening the chance for an irregular heartbeat. Furthermore, normal taurine use directly, or indirectly, regulates certain ion channels in the heart where it has been shown taurine can actually mitigate the risk for an irregular heartbeat. Although energy drinks may be bad for your health, consuming normal amounts of caffeine does not appear to alter heart function8 or increase susceptibility to irregular heartbeat. Several reports link cases of sudden cardiac death to excessive energy drink use even in otherwise healthy individuals. In addition to the apparent inability of caffeine and taurine to improve physical performance, overconsumption of energy drinks and taurine or taurine and coffee may also lead to very dangerous health outcomes such as an irregular heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmia) along with other less severe side effects such as gastrointestinal upset or insomnia, making the use of these popular energy drinks ill-advised. Is Taurine Bad For You? The Dangers of Taurine and CaffeineĬaffeine and Taurine Intake May Trigger Irregular Heartbeat Taurine also regulates intracellular calcium within muscle like caffeine, giving taurine with caffeine the capacity to augment muscle contractile force as well. Taurine is a non-proteinaceous amino acid that augments a wide array of metabolic and physiological processes including osmoregulation, mitochondrial function and energy metabolism, making this compound a potentially formidable ergogenic aid. Thus, more calcium causes more actin and myosin interactions, which generates a stronger muscular contraction. Calcium permits the interaction between the muscle proteins actin and myosin required for muscular contraction. Greater cAMP levels also enhance muscular contraction force by increasing calcium levels within the muscle cell. An increase in cAMP activates several cellular signaling cascades that trigger the breakdown of fat (lypolysis) and glycogen (glycolysis) providing energy to the muscle while training. Caffeine can also improve exercise performance by directly increasing the cellular concentration of the molecule cyclic AMP (cAMP). Taurine With Caffeine Independently Strengthens Muscle ContractionĬaffeine is a regularly used performance-enhancing aid typically taken to stimulate the central nervous system, improving alertness and focus for a better workout. Indeed, energy drinks are one of the most popular supplements among athletes with approximately 73 percent of all collegiate athletes in the United States consuming them.The performance-enhancing effect from energy drinks is attributed to several ingredients found in these drinks including the all-important compounds caffeine and taurine. The consumption of different energy drinks is widespread due to their supposed ability to boost energy and improve exercise performance.

Energy rush with taurine caffeine