An article published in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology stated that taurine is one of essential factors for the differentiation and growth of skeletal muscles. Evidence suggests that the deficiency of taurine in skeletal muscles cause incomplete muscular developments, morphological abnormalities, and exercise inabilities. However, in general cell culture condition, taurine contained in the culture medium is absent or scarce. Thus, most cultured cells are in taurine-deficient condition. 

Here, the authors hypothesized that in fetal and neonatal phases, taurine must be an essential amino acid and is likely to be endogenously supplied through placenta and maternal milk. Present studies have illustrated that in differentiable myoblast, taurine treatment significantly enhances the differentiation to myotube in a dose-dependent manner. These effects are reversed by inhibitions of taurine transport and Ca(2+) signaling pathway.

These findings indicate that exogenous taurine may play a major role on the growth, differentiation and maturation of the skeletal muscle during development period through Ca(2+) signaling pathway, and hence, taurine would contribute to muscle recovery after damages.

Source: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 2013;776:321-8. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6093-0_29.