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What does taurine do in energy drinks?
Taurine is added to energy drinks primarily to counteract the jitteriness and anxiety caused by high doses of caffeine. Despite common belief, taurine is not a stimulant. It functions as a calming agent by increasing the activity of GABA and glycine, two neurotransmitters that help quiet the nervous system. Energy drink manufacturers include it to smooth out the harsh edges of synthetic caffeine
Most commercial energy drinks contain 500 to 2,000mg of taurine per can. Red Bull contains 1,000mg per 8.4-ounce can. Monster Energy contains about 1,000mg per 16-ounce can.
What is taurine?
Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid found naturally in the brain, heart, eyes, and muscles. Your body produces it from the amino acid cysteine, and a balanced diet provides additional taurine from food sources including seafood (especially scallops, mussels, and clams), dark meat poultry, and dairy products.
The name comes from the Latin word taurus (bull) because it was first isolated from ox bile in 1827. The taurine used in energy drinks is produced synthetically in laboratories, not extracted from animals.
Healthy adults carry about 70 grams of taurine throughout their body. Since the body produces it and dietary sources are abundant, most people do not need taurine supplementation.
Does taurine in energy drinks work?
The evidence is mixed. Here is what research supports and what it does not:
What research supports: Taurine has been shown to increase GABA and glycine activity, which can help calm the brain. A 2012 study in Amino Acids confirmed that taurine acts as a neuromodulator with calming effects. It also plays a role in cardiovascular function, antioxidant defense, and bile acid production.
What research does not support: There is no strong evidence that taurine improves athletic performance, boosts energy, or enhances cognitive function when taken as a supplement. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reviewed the evidence and concluded that claims about taurine improving mental or physical performance in energy drinks could not be substantiated.
The effects people feel from energy drinks containing taurine are primarily driven by the caffeine and sugar, not the taurine itself.
Taurine vs. L-theanine: which is better for reducing caffeine side effects?
Both taurine and L-theanine are added to caffeine products to reduce jitters, but they work through different mechanisms and the evidence supporting them differs:
| Factor | Taurine | L-theanine |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Synthetic (in most energy drinks) | Natural (from green tea leaves) |
| Mechanism | Increases GABA and glycine | Increases alpha brain waves; modulates dopamine and serotonin |
| Jitter reduction | Some evidence | Strong evidence from multiple clinical trials |
| Focus improvement | Unsubstantiated by EFSA | Supported by research in Nutritional Neuroscience |
| Mood support | Limited evidence | Shown to reduce stress and improve mood |
| Typical dose in drinks | 500-2,000mg | 50-200mg |
| Research quality | Mixed, with many conflicting results | Consistent positive findings across studies |
L-theanine has stronger and more consistent clinical evidence for reducing caffeine-related jitters while preserving or improving focus. A 2008 study published in Nutritional Neuroscience found that the combination of L-theanine and caffeine improved both speed and accuracy on attention-switching tasks while reducing susceptibility to distracting information.
This is why Proper Wild uses L-theanine instead of taurine. Each Proper Wild energy shot contains 120mg of L-theanine paired with 100mg of organic caffeine from green tea, providing focused energy with reduced jitters and crash.
Is taurine safe?
Taurine supplementation up to 3,000mg per day appears safe for healthy adults based on available research. The European Food Safety Authority considers the amounts found in energy drinks (typically 1,000 to 2,000mg) to be safe.
The concern with taurine in energy drinks is not taurine itself, but the combination of multiple stimulants and ingredients. Mixing caffeine, taurine, sugar, and guarana in a single can creates interactions that are not fully understood. A 2019 review in Frontiers in Public Health noted that the combined effect of these ingredients may carry risks that individual ingredient safety data does not capture.
Frequently asked questions
Is taurine a stimulant?
No. Taurine is not a stimulant. It has calming effects on the nervous system by increasing GABA and glycine activity. It is often mistakenly assumed to be a stimulant because it appears in energy drinks alongside caffeine.
Does taurine give you energy?
Not directly. Taurine does not stimulate the central nervous system the way caffeine does. Any energy boost felt from a taurine-containing energy drink comes from the caffeine and sugar, not the taurine. Taurine's role is to potentially reduce the jittery side effects of caffeine.
Why doesn't Proper Wild use taurine?
Proper Wild uses L-theanine instead of taurine because L-theanine has stronger clinical evidence for reducing caffeine-related jitters while improving focus. L-theanine also occurs naturally alongside caffeine in green tea, the source of Proper Wild's organic caffeine, making it a more complementary pairing.
Is taurine from bulls?
No. The taurine in energy drinks is 100% synthetic, produced in chemical laboratories. It was first discovered in ox bile in 1827, which is how it got its name (from the Latin word for bull), but commercial taurine has no animal-derived components.
Can you take too much taurine?
Doses up to 3,000mg per day are generally considered safe. Drinking multiple energy drinks in a day could push taurine intake to 4,000mg or more, but no serious adverse effects have been documented at these levels. The bigger risk from consuming multiple energy drinks is excessive caffeine and sugar intake, not taurine specifically.
In Summary
So, why is taurine added to energy drinks, and why don’t we use it?
Taurine is thought to have an effect on mental and athletic performance. However, with many studies performed over the years, there is not enough substantial evidence to make any beneficial claims surrounding taurine.
Taurine has, however, been shown to increase glycine and GABA to help calm the brain, so many experts think it may be added to popular energy drinks to help reduce the notorious anxiousness brought on by too much caffeine.
Here at Proper Wild, our energy shots and gummies are crafted with just the right amount of organic caffeine and L-theanine to keep your brain fueled and boost your energy, focus, and productivity for hours!
We are extremely passionate about delivering energy shots with clean and transparent ingredients that actually work - without compromising your health.
With 2x more caffeine than a shot of espresso and 15x more L-theanine than a cup of green tea for clean energy, it’s easy to see why our energy shots are loved by people everywhere (1500+ 5-star reviews don’t fall out of the sky!).
If you want to see what the difference clean energy can make, give one of our Proper Wild energy shots a try.
Sources: Amino Acids journal (taurine neuromodulation study), EFSA (taurine performance claims review), Nutritional Neuroscience (L-theanine + caffeine study), Frontiers in Public Health (combined ingredient review)
