Matcha Green Tea Boosts Muscle Adaptation to Resistance Training

Resistance training has long been hailed as a key element in building muscle strength and mass, pivotal for both athletic performance and overall health. Yet, the role of dietary interventions in enhancing muscle adaptation has remained an area of intense research. A study published in Nutrition Journal shed light on how matcha green tea, with its rich composition of antioxidants, amino acids, and dietary fibers, might play a crucial role in aiding muscle adaptation to resistance training.

Conducted with healthy, untrained men, this study randomized participants into two groups: one received a matcha beverage containing 1.5 grams of matcha green tea powder, while the other received a placebo. Both groups concurrently engaged in resistance training programs for either 8 or 12 weeks, leading to some remarkable findings.

In the first trial, the matcha group exhibited noteworthy advantages. Maximum leg strength post-training showed a significant increase in the matcha group compared to the placebo group. Furthermore, participants in the matcha group reported lower subjective fatigue after exercise during the first week of training, indicating that matcha might assist in managing post-workout weariness.

Microbiota analysis offered another intriguing insight. The matcha group displayed alterations in the abundance of five genera in their gut microbiome. Notably, the changes in Ruminococcus, Butyricimonas, and Oscillospira compositions positively correlated with the increase in maximum strength, hinting at a potential link between gut health and muscle adaptation.

In the second, more extended trial, the matcha group once again outperformed the placebo group. Muscle mass gain in response to resistance training was significantly larger in those who consumed matcha. Additionally, participants in the matcha group exhibited lower salivary cortisol levels, a marker of stress, compared to the placebo group, suggesting that matcha may also have a stress-modulating effect.

These findings have significant implications for individuals looking to maximize the benefits of resistance training. Daily consumption of matcha green tea beverages appears to offer a valuable adjunct to muscle adaptation, potentially reducing fatigue and stress responses. The alterations observed in gut microbiota further highlight the intricate connection between diet, the microbiome, and muscle health.

Source:

Shigeta, M., Aoi, W., Morita, C., Soga, K., Inoue, R., Fukushima, Y., Kobayashi, Y., & Kuwahata, M. (2023). Matcha green tea beverage moderates fatigue and supports resistance training-induced adaptation. In Nutrition Journal (Vol. 22, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-023-00859-4