Take amino acid supplements at least half an hour before or after a meal - taking them when the stomach is empty eliminates the possibility that they will compete with the amino acids in high-protein foods.
This lack of clarity is likely why amino acid products instruct you to take the supplement without food, playing it safe that there will not be competition with other amino acids or nutrients for absorption, although you may also be forgoing the potential for improved absorption or action. Until more is known, you are probably best off sticking with the instructions on the label.
Also be aware that eating food can slow digestion and may delay the absorption of your amino acid supplement. This could be problematic if you seek earlier absorption to promote muscle repair during or immediately after a work-out.
Taurine and beta-alanine may not work at cross purposes to each other. From The International Society of Sports Nutrition:
“A secondary effect of beta-alanine supplementation is a potential decrease in taurine concentrations. Beta-alanine and taurine share the same transporter (Tau-T) into skeletal muscle, with beta-alanine thereby inhibiting taurine uptake within the muscle [46]. In animal models, beta-alanine has been shown to decrease circulating taurine levels by about 50 % [47]. Interestingly, Harris et al. [1] reported that 4 weeks of beta-alanine supplementation (10–40 mg∙kg−1bw) resulted in an increase in plasma taurine concentration; however, there was no significant decrease in muscle taurine content. While taurine has a number of essential physiological functions, to date there is no human data to support decreases with beta-alanine supplementation. Additionally, when extrapolated to humans, the decrease in taurine would not be of physiological significance.”
Have you noticed any changes in your levels of testosterone since you started supplementing with high dose Taurine? My T is on a higher level. I don’t know if it just is an irrelevant correlation or causative effect?
" Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that a taurine supplement could stimulate the secretion of LH and T, increase the levels of testicular marker enzymes, elevate testicular antioxidation and improve sperm quality. The results imply that taurine plays important roles in male reproduction especially in aged animals."
There is limited scientific evidence available on the effects on testosterone levels in humans. Most of research has been done on animals or in vitro. It is dificult to translate animal date of taurine supplementation to humans.
But being an aged “animal”, the data makes it relevant to keep an eye on testesterone levels.
I am a woman and just had a blood test and my doc noted an increase in Testosterone… she asked me if I am takin a higher dose of DHEA, and I said I wasn’t… so we could not think of any reason… And now after reading your comment I realize that it could be Taurine!
Does a supplementation with 4 g of taurine daily over a period of 6 months slow down biological aging in humans? Researchers will compare supplementation with taurine to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug) to reliably determine whether taurine has an effect.
They may be taking too low of a dose. I’d say double it to 8 g if you want a good result with statistical significance. Small doses often end with middling results.
Interesting! Could be a total coincidence, but I recently ramped up my 1000mg of daily taurine to 3000mg (as a pit stop on the way to 6000).
Related or not, I have also noticed Oura has told me my heart rate while sleeping has lowered. I even googled some of my new medicines to see if that is a potential side effect.
Hard to know if this is related because I’m doing a few new things, but I read your post and squealed EUREKA
I find it interesting that there is a possible link between increased Taurine which increases Hydrogensulfide (H2S) which reduces TGF beta and which then suppresses IL-11.
Taurine markedly increases hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in human subjects.
And increased H2S significantly inhibits TGF beta and its downstream targets.
Reduced TGF beta leads to reduced IL-11 (this since TGF beta is a stimulating factor of IL-11) .
So when it comes to reducing IL-11, maybe we should not focus too much on direct inhibitors but also look at upstream regulators, like reducing an over active TGF beta by Increased H2S through Taurine.
”Taurine has been shown to significantly increase hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) levels in the human body, particularly in individuals with prehypertension. A clinical trial indicated that a daily supplementation of 1.6 grams of taurine resulted in a near doubling of plasma H₂S levels, from 43.8 µmol/L to 87.0 µmol/L after 12 weeks of treatment.”
Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) significantly influences the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway, primarily through its inhibitory effects on TGF-β1 and its downstream targets, which are critical in processes like fibrosis.
Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) significantly affects the production of interleukin-11 (IL-11) across various cell types, particularly in fibroblasts. In Humans.
Worth mentioning the ITP has tested an H2S prodrug 3 times, none of which were able to increase lifespan. Sodium thiosulfate—which can generate H2S under certain conditions—led to a 5% increase in male lifespan, just failing to meet the significance criteria (p=0.06).
TGF-β does play important physiological roles (wound healing, for example) and exerts anti-inflammatory effects (e.g suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and regulatory T cell activation), such that inhibition might lead to autoimmunity or tumorigenesis (after all, it’s considered an early-stage tumor suppressor). Because of this, it would preferable to selectively inhibit IL-11 rather than every factor downstream of TGF-β, especially since we know IL-11 is crucial for TGF-β-mediated fibrosis and can also independently regulate lifespan.
It would be nice if the ITP examined a see-saw approach to MTOR inhibition/promotion. One week, Rapamycin would inhibit MTOR, and the next, an MTOR activator would enhance muscle growth. I have a feeling that both MTOR inhibition and activation are good in moderation if alternated. The only way we would know is by trialing it.
When it come to interventions, there will always be trade offs. Do to much and it is detrimental. Do to little and it has no meaningful effect. When intervening with the right dose it usually comes with a known downside or at least a risk for negative unintended results.
Exercise and fasting are no exceptions. Dosing, timing, combinations of interventions will influence the effect. A net-negative or net-positiv.
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