['To assess the efficacy of the cytoprotective B-amino acid taurine in prevention of skeletal muscle dysfunction secondary to ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury.', 'Randomised controlled animal study.', 'Biomedical research laboratory, teaching hospital, Republic of Ireland.', '96 Sprague Dawley rats.', "Rats were randomised into three groups (n = 24/group): control (sham); ischaemia-reperfusion (untreated); and ischaemia-reperfusion + taurine. A further 24 rats were given taurine alone. The rat cremaster skeletal muscle model of four hours of ischaemia followed by reperfusion was used. Taurine 4%wt/vol was given in the animals' water throughout the experiment, beginning 48 hours before the ischaemia was initiated.", '8 rats were killed from each group and muscle contractile function was assessed using electrical field stimulation in a tissue bath at 24 hrs, 48 hrs and 7 days.', 'Ischaemia followed by 24 hours, 48 hours or 7 days of reperfusion resulted in significant reduction in both muscle twitch and tetanic contractile function (p < 0.05). This was reversed by taurine, which resulted in significant preservation of twitch and tetanic contractility at all time points including one week of reperfusion (p < 0.05). There was no difference in muscle function between muscle treated with taurine after ischaemia-reperfusion and control muscle, with the same operation but without ischaemia, from 48 hours onwards.'] Does taurine protect against early and late skeletal muscle dysfunction secondary to ischaemia reperfusion injury?