Matcha is full of compounds that can improve how you feel and physically function.
In my previous blog post on coffee, we concluded that it can be a great tool for getting more out of your exercise sessions while being associated with a number of positive health outcomes.
So why would you drink matcha green tea if you can just drink coffee?
Well, matcha green tea may be even more beneficial when it comes to promoting better health and fitness.
You still get your caffeine to help your alertness and exercise performance, but you also get other compounds that further enhance your physical functioning and how you feel.
Let’s take a look at why it may be worthwhile including some matcha in your morning beverage routine.
I’m sure you’ve heard about all of the benefits of green tea, including its powerful antioxidant abilities etc. (so I won’t rehash all of that – you know it’s good for you!)
Matcha differs from other green teas in that it is a powdered form of Japanese green tea that is grown, harvested and prepared in a way that makes it of very high quality.
The compounds that are responsible for some of the health- and fitness-enhancing effects are significantly higher in matcha compared to other kinds of green tea. (1)
Two compounds that we’ll focus on are its theanine levels (higher than other green teas because it is grown under shade for a few weeks before harvest) and catechin content. Once dissolved in water, matcha contains three times more catechin than other forms of green tea. (1) (2)
If you’re familiar with that jittery/uneasy feeling from consuming too much coffee, this is where the high theanine content in matcha can help.
The theanine found in matcha can promote relaxation, calmness and less tension. This means it’s a great way to balance the jittery effects you get from caffeine while still getting the caffeine-induced cognitive and physical benefits! (2)
The lower levels of physical stress and anxiety that are observed (2) will not only help you feel better but will be useful for improving your recovery from exercise.
This is an advantage of matcha that coffee doesn’t have!
A study was conducted that looked at how consuming matcha tea over 8-12 weeks alongside strength training impacted results. Compared to a placebo group, the matcha-consuming group had slightly better strength gains in the first 8 weeks and some better muscle gains over 12 weeks. (3)
There are many compounds in matcha that may have contributed to these results (like the catechin content that will be discussed below), but the theanine content may have played a major role for the group’s lower levels of fatigue and stress, which helped their recovery!
Less anxiety and improved recovery: that’s a big win for matcha!
If you read my post on polyphenols you know that they have wide-ranging health- and fitness-enhancing effects.
The main kind (90%) of polyphenols found in matcha are called ‘Catechins’. (1)
These catechins have very powerful antioxidant abilities (greater than the all-familiar Vitamin C). (4)
So, if you’re suffering from issues like sarcopenia or osteoarthritis that can be common as you age, or if you want to do your best to avoid them, these catechins – among the other antioxidants – may be useful for controlling the inflammation and oxidative stress that accompany/cause these issues.
The catechins work in a number of ways to help, for example:
They help you hold onto muscle and keep joints healthy by reducing inflammation and oxidative damage and they can help out your mitochondria which are the energy powerhouses of your cells (they’re important for keeping your muscles healthy and growing/recovering well). (5)
Enjoying a daily matcha beverage before your strength training routine is a great way to help manage (or avoid) the debilitating joint and muscle problems that can arise with age!
There’s a few other ways they [catechins] may help you function (and train) better:
A paper by Penghui et al., 2020 reviewed how catechins can help muscle performance. They described their ability to:
• help with muscle regeneration and health
• protect mitochondria and assist with oxidative stress (discussed above)
• improve how you store and use the energy from your food (glucose and fats)
• help with the creation of capillaries (improves the transport of nutrients/oxygen to your muscles which means better functioning and performing muscles)
• promote bone formation (helps with strength, muscle mass, balance and falls/fractures) and protect your nervous system! (very important for your movement/muscular performance).
(6)
Catechins are impressive compounds for your muscles, especially when paired with strength training! Fortunately we have a great natural source for the catechins (matcha) and some easy ways to start strength training (like at the end of this article).
Matcha can also contribute to better gut health.
The catechins have antioxidant effects that are good for the gut ‘environment’ and the fiber also improves this environment. (3)
In the study discussed earlier (where they saw the strength/muscle gains), they also saw a change in the amount of certain bacteria present in the gut, so it may have been contributing! (3)
I’m always harping on about the importance of your gut health for health and fitness pursuits (it can influence how you perform/recover from exercise, your joint health, immune system functioning, your mood, how you use energy, sleep, behave and so on.)
By finding ways to support your gut health (like consuming matcha and definitely fermented foods) you’re benefitting multiple areas!
You could, but then you have to worry about the various kinds of catechins, their quality, how much you should consume, what supplement company is reputable, and more. You’re also going to miss out on other great antioxidants, vitamins and even the fiber if you go down the supplement route!
There are many offered but I think it’s worthwhile seeking out a quality product to get as many of those beneficial compounds as possible (they’re also less bitter [potentially from the higher theanine content] and have more flavour when you find a good one).
For example, when it comes to the stress-reducing benefits of matcha, a study looked at matcha samples marketed in Japan and overseas. They found that 50 of 76 samples in Japan had stress-reducing levels of theanine while only 6 of the 67 samples overseas had enough. (2)
Either way you’ll still get some benefits, but it’s always worth considering quality too!
Thanks to matcha’s high theanine and catechin content, it goes beyond just being a healthy tea. Matcha tea may help you feel better, recover better and keep your muscles and joints functioning at their best.
1. Sokary, Sara et al. “The therapeutic potential of matcha tea: A critical review on human and animal studies.” Current research in food science vol. 6 100396. 23 Nov. 2022, doi:10.1016/j.crfs.2022.11.015
2. Unno, Keiko et al. “Stress-Reducing Function of Matcha Green Tea in Animal Experiments and Clinical Trials.” Nutrients vol. 10,10 1468. 10 Oct. 2018, doi:10.3390/nu10101468
3. Shigeta, Mizuho et al. “Matcha green tea beverage moderates fatigue and supports resistance training-induced adaptation.” Nutrition journal vol. 22,1 32. 5 Jul. 2023, doi:10.1186/s12937-023-00859-4
4. Kochman, Joanna et al. “Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 26,1 85. 27 Dec. 2020, doi:10.3390/molecules26010085
5. Luk, Hui-Ying et al. “Impacts of Green Tea on Joint and Skeletal Muscle Health: Prospects of Translational Nutrition.” Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 9,11 1050. 28 Oct. 2020, doi:10.3390/antiox9111050
6. Li, Penghui et al. “Catechins enhance skeletal muscle performance.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 60 (2020): 515 - 528.
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