Comparison of the carnosine and taurine contents of vastus lateralis of elderly Korean males, with impaired glucose tolerance, and young elite Korean swimmers

• Published in: Amino acids Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 359 - 363
• Main Author: Kim, Hyo-Jeong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.02.2009; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; age; Aged; Amino acids; Analytical Chemistry; Biochemical Engineering; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; buffering capacity; Carnosine; Carnosine - analysis; diet; Diets; elderly; Glucose; Glucose Intolerance - metabolism; Glucose tolerance; Humans; Insulin; Inverse; Life Sciences; Male; Males; Middle Aged; Muscles; Neurobiology; Older people; Original Article; Osmoregulation; Proteomics; Quadriceps Muscle - metabolism; sports; Spreads; Swimming; Taurine; Taurine - analysis; Tolerances; Taurine; Carnosine; Korean males; Impaired glucose tolerance; Swimmers; Ageing
• ISSN: 0939-4451; 1438-2199; 1438-2199
• DOI: 10.1007/s00726-008-0092-z

The carnosine and taurine contents of the vastus lateralis of two diverse groups of Korean male subjects (elderly and impaired glucose-tolerant (IGT) subjects and young elite swimmers at a national sport university) having a similar national diet, were examined. Despite marked differences in age, fitness and clinical status the two groups showed almost identical muscle carnosine and taurine contents. In the case of carnosine, the results suggest a similar contribution to intracellular buffering capacity in the two groups of subjects, with no evidence of a reduction of this in elderly IGT subjects. In addition, both groups showed the same inverse relationship between the muscle carnosine and taurine contents; the spread of values between subjects, within-groups, most likely reflect variations in the type I (low carnosine, high taurine) or type II (high carnosine, low taurine) composition of the vastus lateralis. The relationship is consistent with a role of taurine in osmoregulation, compensating for variations between fibre types in the carnosine content.