To study the changes of renal cell apoptosis after acute exhaustive exercise and the protective effect of taurine, forty six male mice (Mus musculus) were randomly divided into control group, exhaustive exercise group (instant group, 12, 24 and 48 hours after exercise group), and taurine group (12 and 24 hours after exercise group), 8 mice in each group. Changes of cell apoptosis, Bcl-2 and Bax expressions, nitric oxide(NO)content, constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity of renal tissue were detected. The results showed that renal cell apoptosis level first increased, and then decreased, with a peak level at 24 h (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, Bax expression in exercise group significantly increased (P<0.05). Bcl-2 expression of exercise groups significantly decreased except for instant group (P<0.05). The ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 increased, and reached a peak level at 24 h(P<0.05), and then decreased. The NO level of exercise group was significantly higher than that of the control group 24 h and 48 h after exhaustive exercise (P<0.05), and iNOS activity increased at the same time (P<0.01). The activity of cNOS had no significant change. Compared to the exercise group, the apoptosis level, Bax expression, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and iNOS activity of taurine group decreased at the same time point (P<0.05), while Bcl-2 expression increased (P<0.05). The results indicate that acute exhaustive exercise leads to renal cell apoptosis, and that iNOS, Bax, Bcl-2 and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio may play an important role in the process of renal cell apoptosis. Taurine can inhibit renal cell apoptosis by regulating iNOS activity, Bax and Bcl-2 expression as well as the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.