- Traditional tea, as opposed to herbals like chamomile, can provide an all-natural boost that’s a lot easier on you than coffee or, worse, most “energy drinks.”
- It shares coffee’s pick-me-up appeal but has an amino acid, L-theanine, that causes its naturally occurring caffeine to have a milder, steadier effect that peaks after 60 minutes or so and falls to half strength over the next four to six hours.
- Tea expert Paul Holmgren describes the effect as a “more friendly, approachable boost” than coffee’s.
- Tea’s powerful antioxidants, called catechins, may be able to repair certain types of cellular damage that can lead to cancer.
- Observational studies in Asia, where folks drink as many as five cups a day, point to a possible connection between green tea and reduced cardiovascular disease.
- Traditional tea is gaining traction with the endurance set, as marathoners carry diluted bottles on long runs.
- “Recent animal studies suggest that green tea’s combination of caffeine and a polyphenol called EGCG has the potential to improve endurance,” says University of Miami sports nutritionist Lisa Dorfman.
Further Reading:
This is your life on caffeine [internal link]
Men’s Journal – The Athlete’s New Brew
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