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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2023 Jul 5;22(1):32.
doi: 10.1186/s12937-023-00859-4.

Matcha green tea beverage moderates fatigue and supports resistance training-induced adaptation

Mizuho Shigeta  1 , Wataru Aoi  2 , Chiharu Morita  1 , Kurumi Soga  1 , Ryo Inoue  3 , Yoichi Fukushima  4 , Yukiko Kobayashi  1 , Masashi Kuwahata  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Matcha green tea beverage moderates fatigue and supports resistance training-induced adaptation

Mizuho Shigeta et al. Nutr J. .

Abstract

Background: Resistance training adaptively increases muscle strength and mass, contributing to athletic performance and health promotion. Dietary intervention with natural foods provides nutrients that help accelerate muscle adaptation to training. Matcha green tea contains several bioactive factors such as antioxidants, amino acids, and dietary fibers; however, its effect on muscle adaptation is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of matcha beverage intake on muscle adaptation to resistance training.

Methods: Healthy, untrained men were randomized into placebo and matcha groups. Participants consumed either a matcha beverage containing 1.5 g of matcha green tea powder or a placebo beverage twice a day and engaged in resistance training programs for 8 (trial 1) or 12 weeks (trial 2).

Results: In trial 1, maximum leg strength after training tended to increase more in the matcha group than that in the placebo group. In the matcha group, subjective fatigue after exercise at 1 week of training was lower than that in the placebo group. Gut microbe analysis showed that the abundance of five genera changed after matcha intake. The change in Ruminococcus, Butyricimonas, and Oscillospira compositions positively correlated with the change in maximum strength. In trial 2, the change in skeletal muscle mass in response to training was larger in the matcha group. In addition, the salivary cortisol level was lower in the matcha group than that in the placebo group.

Conclusion: Daily intake of matcha green tea beverages may help in muscle adaptation to training, with modulations in stress and fatigue responses and microbiota composition.

Keywords: Fatigue; Gut microbiota; Matcha green tea; Muscle adaptation; Resistance training.

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Conflict of interest statement

Although the Matcha and Health Research Group was not involved in conducting experiments or data analysis, test samples were supplied from Nestlé Japan Ltd., a constituent organization of the Matcha and Health Research Group.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Experiment protocol
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Blood and subjective fatigue parameters in trial 1. Serum carbonylated protein concentration (a) and creatine kinase activity (b) before and after the intervention. Subjective fatigue levels (c) during the intervention at weeks 1 and 8. * P < 0.05. Values are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Pre: pre-training, Post: post-training
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Abundance of gut microbiota genera in trial 1. Proportion of the genera Butyricimonas (a), Ruminococcus (b), and Oscillospira (c) before and at weeks 4 and 8 during the intervention. Correlation analyses between the change in maximum strength for the leg press and the change in genera percentage at week 4 compared with pre-intervention levels are shown in the right panel. * P < 0.05. Values are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Pre: pre-training
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Muscular, stress, and visual parameters in trial 2. Muscle weight (a), salivary cortisol (b), salivary sIgA (c), and visual function (d) before and after the intervention. *P < 0.05. Values are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Pre: pre-training, Post: post-training, KVA: kinetic visual acuity, DVA: dynamic visual acuity, OMS: ocular motor skills
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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