Taurine supplementation attenuates delayed increase in exercise-induced arterial stiffness

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Cardiovascular Health

Background:

• Eccentric exercise can lead to a delayed increase in arterial stiffness.
• This increase in arterial stiffness is potentially linked to elevated oxidative stress.
• Taurine, an amino acid with antioxidant properties, may mitigate exercise-induced oxidative stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if taurine supplementation can reduce the delayed increase in arterial stiffness after eccentric exercise.
• To investigate the role of oxidative stress in this process.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 29 healthy men.
• Participants received either placebo or 2.0 g of taurine three times daily for 14 days prior to, during, and for 3 days after eccentric exercise.
• Measurements included serum malondialdehyde (MDA) as an oxidative stress marker and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) for arterial stiffness.

Main Results:

• The placebo group showed significant increases in MDA and cfPWV on days 3 and 4 post-exercise.
• Taurine supplementation significantly attenuated these increases in MDA and cfPWV.
• A positive correlation between MDA and cfPWV was observed in the placebo group but not in the taurine group.

Conclusions:

• Delayed increases in arterial stiffness after eccentric exercise are likely influenced by exercise-induced oxidative stress.
• Taurine supplementation appears to effectively attenuate this delayed increase in arterial stiffness, possibly through its antioxidant effects.