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Sports Medicine Program

Coffee Vs. Green Tea

You probably already know that a shot of caffeine before your workout can give you moreenergy and help you burn more fat. For that reason, millions of people drink a cup or two of

coffee before hitting the weights or heading off to an aerobics class. But did you know that tea -especially green tea can provide you with extra energy and fat loss without the buzzing effectsof caffeine? So, is one better than the other? For all the hard core coffee drinkers out there, youmay want to take another look at green tea.

Caffeine Claims: Improves performance by decreasing marathon running times and cycle time trials by:

o Affecting the central nervous system causing increased neuronal excitabilityo Increases free fatty acid oxidation, sparing glycogen for energy use allowing glycogen

levels to be maintained for a longer period of time

Beverage Average Caffeine (mg)

Coffee, brewed, 8 ounces 165

Coffee, instant, 8 ounces 95

Black Tea, 10 ounces brewed 80-120

Iced tea, 12 ounces 70

Green Tea 35 - 70

Hot cocoa, 8 ounces 5

Dr. Pepper 40

Pepsi Cola 40

Diet Coke 45

Mountain Dew 55

How Much Is Needed?o 3- 6mgs caffeine/kg/body weight or 1.4 2.7mg/lb/body weight to improve endurance by 20

50% without raising urinary caffeine levels above the International Olympic Committee limit to1200mg.

o 175# person would need 245 472mg of caffeine = 24oz of green tea or about 16oz coffee

Possible Caffeine Side Effects?o Dizziness

SPORTS TIPIf you choose to use caffeine as an ergogenicaid, try using it 1-2 weeks before an event togauge its effectiveness. Regular caffeine intakewill lessen its benefits due to the body's ability todevelop a tolerance to it. To receive themaximum benefits, it is recommended not to useit daily.

o

Headacheo Insomniao Nauseao Gastrointestinal Distresso Muscle Tremorso Palpitations

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Green Tea Claims:o Green tea is rich in polyphenols especially one called Catechins. Polyphenols are plant-like

compounds that act as antioxidants. With a minimum 2 cups of green tea a day containing625mg of catechins, these plant-like substances have shown to be antiviral, antioxidant andanticancer.

o Green Tea is also used as an anti-inflammatory agent, reducing cholesterol and muscle/jointaches and pains.

o Catechins and caffeine in green tea have also shown to spare glycogen stores in athletesenabling them to exercise longer without fatigue.

o Due to the catechins in green tea, recent studies show that it can decrease abdominal bodyfat

Here is one of many studies supporting the benefits of green tea:

In 2008, scientists at the University of Birmingham in the UK studied the effects of green tea extract (GTE)supplementation (containing 366mgs of EGCG per day) in 12 healthy men who performed 30 minutes ofcycling exercise at 60% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) before and then again 24 hours afterGTE supplementation. The results were dramatic; compared to a control group who took an inert placebo,those taking GTE increased their fat burning rates by an average of 17% . Whats especially intriguing

about the Birmingham study is that the contribution of fat oxidation to total energy expenditure followingGTE supplementation was also significantly higher by a similar percentage, indicating that this extra fatoxidation induced by GTE was helping to fuel the exercise . This is potentially very important; if anathlete can derive more of his or her energy from fat burning during an endurance event, fewer demandsare placed on the premium energy supply for intense exercise stored muscle carbohydrate (glycogen) which could in turn prolong endurance during longer events. (Michelle C Venables, Carl J Hulston, et al. Green teaextract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in healthy humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008: 87(3):778-84)

Is it safe for kids?

Concern of the safety of green tea consumption and kids arise from the caffeine contentand the tannins. However, green tea does not contain tannic acid, which interferes withiron absorption and bone formation.

Bottom LineGreen tea and caffeine offer similar effects of sparing glycogen to

prolong exercise, however, green tea offers this effect in addition toother unique benefits without the side effects that caffeine use can

bring. Green Tea acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, contains lots ofanti-oxidants, and can decrease abdominal fat and reduce cholesterol!

These positive effects are shown in as little as 2 cups of green teaeach da !

For more information on sports nutrition, contact Nicole Fasules, RD CD, the Froedtert & Medical College Sports MedicineDietitian at (414) 805-7083 or email her at Nicole.fasules@froedterthealth.edu.

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