Written by Jessica Patella, ND. Taurine increased the amount of time patients could exercise from 7.32 to 10.09 minutes.
Almost 5 million Americans are living with heart failure, with an estimated 550,000 diagnosed each year (2). More than 50% of those diagnosed with heart failure die within five years, making it a huge health concern (2). One of the drawbacks to heart failure is the difficulty exercising, which of course helps heart health (3). The good news is recent research found supplementing taurine in patients with heart failure improved their ability to exercise (1).
The research included 29 patients with heart failure (left ventricle ejection fraction less than 50%, with an average of 29.27 +/- 6.97%; NY functional class II or III). The average age of the patients was 60.57 +/- 6.54 years and they were mostly male (26 of 29) which is typical of the disease presentation (1).
Fifteen of the participants received 500 mg of taurine three times per day (1500mg total) for 2 weeks. Fourteen of the participants received a placebo pill for the 2 weeks. All participants continued taking their heart medications (1).
An exercise tolerance test, performed on a treadmill, was given before and after supplementation with taurine or placebo. The amount of time the participant could exercise, the metabolic rate and distance of exercise all increased significantly in the taurine group (p<0.0001), while there was no change in the placebo group (1).
The numerical results are as follows: Exercise time before supplementation of taurine was 7.32 +/- 3.09 minutes versus 10.09 +/- 3.74 minutes after supplementation. Metabolic rate was 6.34 +/- 1.93 METS before supplementation of taurine versus 8.02 +/- 2.58 METS * after supplementation. Distance of exercise was 602.8 +/- 232.71 meters before supplementation of taurine versus 804.6 +/- 279.07 meters after supplementation (1). All values were significant to p<0.0001 and there were no significant changes in the placebo group.
This was the first study of its kind to examine the effect of taurine supplementation on exercise capacity in patients with heart failure. This is an important study, since heart failure and certain heart medications can often make exercise more challenging (1,3).
In conclusion, supplementing 500 mg of taurine, three times per day in patients with heart failure, that remained on their medical treatment, increased exercise time, exercise distance and metabolic rate (1). It is possible the antioxidant effects of taurine may have contributed to this change. Future research with more participants should be conducted to confirm results (1).
Source: Beyranvand, Mohamad Reza, et al. “Effect of taurine supplementation on exercise capacity of patients with heart failure.” Journal of cardiology 57.3 (2011): 333-337.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. or its licensors or contributors.
Posted October 24, 2012.
Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.
*METS stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Tasks. It is a way to measure the amount of energy required to complete certain tasks and as a result gives the metabolic rate.
References:
- Beyranvand M, et al. Effect of taurine supplementation on exercise capacity of patients with heart failure. 2011 Journal of Cardiology 57, 333-337.
- Emory Healthcare. Heart Failure Statistics.
- Cleveland Clinic. Heart Failure Exercise/Activity Guidelines.
