Abstract
BackgroundOur study aimed to evaluate changes in the contractile behavior of human myocardium after exposure to caffeine and taurine, the main active ingredients of energy drinks (EDs), and to evaluate whether taurine exhibits any inotropic effect at all in the dosages commonly used in EDs.MethodsMyocardial tissue was removed from the right atrial appendages of patients undergoing cardiac surgery and prepared to obtain specimens measuring 4 mm in length. A total of 92 specimens were exposed to electrical impulses at a frequency of 75 bpm for at least 40 min to elicit their maximum contractile force before measuring the isometric contractile force (ICF) and duration of contraction (CD). Following this, each specimen was treated with either taurine (group 1, n = 29), or caffeine (group 2, n = 31) or both (group 3, n = 32). After exposure, ICF and CD measuring were repeated. Post-treatment values were compared with pre-treatments values and indicated as percentages.ResultsExposure to taurine did not alter the contraction behavior of the specimens. Exposure to caffeine, in contrast, led to a significant increase in ICF (118 ± 03%, p < 0.01) und a marginal decrease in CD (95 ± 1.6%, p < 0.01). Exposure to a combination of caffeine and taurine also induced a statistically significant increase in ICF (124 ± 4%, p < 0.01) and a subtle reduction in CD (92 ± 1.4%, p < 0.01). The increase in ICF achieved by administration of caffeine was similar to that achieved by a combination of both caffeine and taurine (p = 0.2).The relative ICF levels achieved by administration of caffeine and a combination of taurine and caffeine, respectively, were both significantly higher (p < 0.01) than the ICF resulting from exposure to taurine only.ConclusionWhile caffeine altered the contraction behavior of the specimen significantly in our in-vitro model, taurine did not exhibit a significant effect. Adding taurine to caffeine did not significantly enhance or reduce the effect of caffeine.
Highlights
Our study aimed to evaluate changes in the contractile behavior of human myocardium after exposure to caffeine and taurine, the main active ingredients of energy drinks (EDs), and to evaluate whether taurine exhibits any inotropic effect at all in the dosages commonly used in EDs
A total of 92 successful experiments were conducted in specimens obtained from 45 patients. 29, 31 and 32 trails were recorded for group 1, Fig. 1 Recording of the forces occurring during one contraction, following electrical stimulation of a myocardial sample
The isometric contractile force (ICF) measured during the control period was 8.1 ± 1.6mN, 11.3 ± 1.5mN and 11.6 ± 1.2mN in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively
Summary
Our study aimed to evaluate changes in the contractile behavior of human myocardium after exposure to caffeine and taurine, the main active ingredients of energy drinks (EDs), and to evaluate whether taurine exhibits any inotropic effect at all in the dosages commonly used in EDs. Energy drinks (EDs) have gained enormous popularity and are claimed to improve mental as well as physical performance [1,2,3]. Energy drinks (EDs) have gained enormous popularity and are claimed to improve mental as well as physical performance [1,2,3] Whether they exert a relevant positive inotropic effect or not, has not been conclusively established yet, even though an ample body of literature has been compiled on a variety of different cardiovascular effects attributed to EDs. Typically, 100 ml of EDs contain about 32 mg caffeine, 400 mg taurine, 11 g glucose and vitamin B complex. According to a recent study, consumers of EDs are estimated to add up to 150–200 mg of caffeine per day to their diet from these products alone [4]
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