7 Reasons Matcha Tea Should Be an Athlete’s Best Friend Leave a comment

Matcha is good for you. Nothing surprising there, right? Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last five years, you’ve most likely seen countless headlines touting matcha’s superhero-like benefits, coffee shops serving vibrant green matcha tea and Matcha lattes, and Supplement companies intergrading the powdery tea into their product lines.

And all for good reason – Matcha green tea is a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support the body and health of everyday gym-goers to avid athletes.

From increased performance to aiding in workout recovery, now is the perfect time to revisit the benefits that matcha provides athletes of all levels.

What’s the Difference Between Matcha Tea and Green Tea?

Although Matcha tea and green tea come from the same plant, the technique in which matcha is grown and processed is what takes this powdered tea to the next level. Simply put, matcha is grown in the shade three weeks before harvest which causes the levels of chlorophyll as well as the amino acid content in the plant to increase. Regular green tea, on the other hand, is left in the sun until harvest.

The leaves of the shade-grown green tea plant are then ground into a fine powder (resulting in matcha), preserving all of the health benefits of the plant, therefore taking the benefits of green tea and boosting them.

This process also results in higher levels of antioxidants and caffeine, creating the perfect natural pre-workout supplement.

With that, matcha tea boasts a long list of phytonutrients, and antioxidants such as EGCG, making this green tea an athlete’s best friend.

How Matcha Improves Recovery After a Workout

With hard training comes all sorts of soreness and the search for supplements to help lessen the pain and heal torn muscle fibers. One of the powerful antioxidants in Matcha does just that. EGCG (a catechin), targets stress caused by sports training. One study found that EGCG prevented the destruction of muscle mass post workout which is exciting news for those who train regularly.

Longer Endurance

Matcha is the man when it comes to helping you push the pace. Studies have shown that athletes have experienced improved endurance when supplementing with matcha, as it helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure allowing you to push harder, and longer.

Matcha Boosts Performance by Using Fat as Energy

The combination of catechins and caffeine from matcha tea results in more energy usage (stored fat) for the body to pull from and utilize. Studies have shown that matcha can boost athletic performance through an increase in stored fat availability during exercise

The Benefits of Matcha

No more jolting your nervous system with a sudden release of caffeine into your veins only to crash later on. Matcha contains an important amino acid, L-theanine, which encourages your body to release caffeine at a sustainable pace, resulting in a calmer sense of alertness during workouts with a slow release of energy.

Better Focus During Training: L-theanine rings in again with its positive influence on cognitive functions, lowering levels of anxiety and stress while boosting mental concentration and focus. This reliable amino acid can also be used post-exercise to increase mental alertness and calm the mind (without causing drowsiness), when the workout crash may set in.
Protection From Free Radicals: Matcha has up to 137 times more antioxidants than other types of green tea. This high dose of antioxidants helps reduce exercise-induced oxidative stressors, allowing your body to recover more quickly after a training session.
Supports Health & Immune Function: Along with keeping free radicals in check, studies show Matcha can reduce levels of “bad” cholesterol, and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, and one test-tube study found the EGCG in matcha tea helped kill off prostate cancer cells. Not only does matcha enhance your time in the gym, but protects your body from all types of ailments.

Matcha Tea Vs. Green Tea: Nutritional Value Comparisons

One cup of Matcha is equivalent to 10 cups of regular brewed green tea with:

137x  Antioxidants
5x L-theanine
10x Vitamin C
99x  Carotene
27x Vitamin B2
96x Vitamin B6

How to Prepare Matcha Tea

Depending on the serving size of the Brand you choose, simply add the serving size to a hot cup of water and whisk until the powder is evenly dissolved. Enjoy as-is, or add your favorite cream.

Ways to Enjoy Matcha:  Add one teaspoon of Matcha tea to your favorite smoothies, lattes, oatmeal, and clean baked goods such as homemade protein bars and energy bites.

Top 3 Must Try Matcha Brands

*Culinary grade is best for smoothies and baked goods while Ceremonial grade is best consuming as a tea.