Abstract
Based on the fact that taurine can increase lipid metabolism, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different doses of acute taurine supplementation on lipid oxidation levels in healthy young men after a single bout of fasting aerobic exercise. A double-blind, acute, and crossover study design was conducted. Seventeen men (age 24.8 ± 4.07y; BMI: 23.9 ± 2.57 kg/m²) participated in the present study. Different doses of taurine (TAU) (3 g or 6 g) or placebo were supplemented 90 min before a single bout of fasting aerobic exercise (on a treadmill at 60% of VO2 max). The subjects performed three trials, and each one was separated by seven days. Blood samples were collected at baseline and after the exercise protocol of each test to analyze plasma levels of glycerol and taurine. Lipid and carbohydrate oxidation were determined immediately after exercise for 15 min by indirect calorimetry. We observed that TAU supplementation (6 g) increased lipid oxidation (38%) and reduced the respiratory coefficient (4%) when compared to the placebo (p < 0.05). However, no differences in lipid oxidation were observed between the different doses of taurine (3 g and 6 g). For glycerol concentrations, there were no differences between trials. Six grams of TAU supplementation 90 min before a single bout of aerobic exercise in a fasted state was sufficient to increase the lipid oxidation post-exercise in healthy young men.
Highlights
Various studies have investigated strategies to reduce body fat [1,2,3,4] to improve the physical performance of exercise practitioners and athletes [5], as well as to enhance the life quality of the population
All subjects were physically active, classified as eutrophic according to Body mass index (BMI), adequate according to body fat mass (%), and with a VO2max between average and excellent [35]
In the comparisons between groups, there was a difference only at the pre-moment (90 min after supplementation), in which the group supplemented with 3 g of taurine presented with a higher level of glycerol compared to the placebo (p = 0.008)
Summary
Various studies have investigated strategies to reduce body fat [1,2,3,4] to improve the physical performance of exercise practitioners and athletes [5], as well as to enhance the life quality of the population. De Carvalho et al [13] verified the effects of acute supplementation of taurine (6 g) before a maximum swimming performance test and confirmed a significant increase of 8% in the plasma glycerol levels This specific taurine dose seems to be a new supplementation strategy for high-intensity efforts, as the increase in glycerol plasma levels may maintain muscle glycogen stores, since lipolysis releases free fatty acids to be used as an energy source during exercise. Exercise practice at low or moderate intensity and a long duration requires a higher proportion of fat oxidation as an energetic substrate when compared to the use of carbohydrate [22] In this way, the use of taurine supplementation has been shown to stimulate processes involved in the increase in lipolysis and lipid oxidation [23,24]. The current study evaluated the effects of two different doses of acute taurine supplementation on lipid oxidation levels in healthy young men after a single bout of fasting moderate-intensity exercise
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