REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism
Beyond weight loss, cognitive health, and glycemic control: Taurine supplementation as a reprogrammer of adipose tissue plasticity, physical performance, metabolic flexibility, neuroinflammaging, and cardiac remodeling in obesity, aging, and diabetes
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Milwaukee, United States
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Abstract
Obesity, senescence, and diabetes mellitus represent interrelated conditions defined by compromised metabolic adaptability, persistent low-grade inflammation, dysfunction of adipose tissue, and a gradual deterioration in physical, cardiovascular, and cognitive capabilities. Conventional therapeutic approaches have predominantly emphasized weight reduction and glycemic regulation; however, these methodologies frequently neglect to consider the intricate multisystem pathophysiology that underpins the progression of these diseases. This review collates the prevailing experimental and clinical insights illustrating that the additive effects of taurine and exercise foster adipose tissue adaptability, augment mitochondrial functionality, enhance insulin sensitivity, and bolster physical performance as well as metabolic flexibility. Concurrently, taurine and physical exercise intersect at critical cardioprotective mechanisms, encompassing the modulation of apoptotic pathways, the regulation of extracellular matrix remodeling, and the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling, consequently mitigating maladaptive cardiac remodeling linked to obesity, aging, and diabetes mellitus. By synthesizing evidence from metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurophysiological frameworks, this review elucidates taurine supplementation in conjunction with physical exercise as a non-pharmacological intervention that transcends traditional therapeutic targets, thereby providing a multifaceted strategy to enhance systemic health and functional capacity in the context of metabolic and age-related disorders.
Summary
Keywords
Aging, diabetes, Exercise, Obesity, Taurine
Received
07 January 2026
Accepted
18 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Yu Wang
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.