Competitive swimmers may find hope in research that found regularly taking green tea extract (GTE) could boost exercise endurance. According to a study, mice that regularly took 0.5 percent GTE supplementation (over a 10-week period) experienced a nearly 25 percent boost in endurance exercise performance, and an 8 percent increase with 0.2 percent (by weight) addition to food.
Researchers translated these mice results to humans: It was estimated that an athlete weighing 165 pounds would have to drink about four cups (0.8 liter) of green tea a day to match the effects found in mice.
The results further indicated that GTE is beneficial for improving endurance capacity (i.e. time to exhaustion) and that stimulation of fatty acid utilization is a promising strategy for improving endurance capacity. However, the positive effect of GTE supplementation is seen only over a long period of time, rather than a single high-dose.
Burning Fat With GTE
Another positive effect researchers uncovered during the study was that green tea has fat-burning properties, which are related to a class of polyphenols called catechins. Catechins have been reported to have various physiological and pharmacological properties over the years and consist mainly of:
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) -- the main active component of tea polyphenol's biological activity, found to prevent and postpone the occurrence of Alzheimer dementia, prevent and cure high blood lipid, arterisclerosis and cerebral thrombus
Epicatechin gallate
Gallocatechin gallate
Researchers discovered the long-term consumption of tea catechins was beneficial in offsetting the obesity-inducing effects of a high-fat diet, and that the effects could be attributed, partly, to the activation of hepatic lipid catabolism, involving the release of energy and resulting in the breakdown of complex materials.
Further, while green tea does contain caffeine, evidence shows that the performance enhancement seen through green tea consumption comes from catechins and not caffeine.
The American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory and Comparative Physiology November 24, 2004
Medical News Today January 27, 2005
I am somewhat skeptical about the results of this study, as the research was sponsored by Kao Corp., a Japanese health care manufacturer that makes and sells -- among others -- green tea beverages. Still, the presence of catechins is a good thing, as they have been found to protect the heart and cardiovascular system.
It is important to recognize, however, that while tea is an acceptable fluid to drink, it must be done in moderation, as previous research has found high levels of fluoride present in some teas. It is therefore wise to due your homework before choosing a green (or black) tea to drink. If you don't have time to do this, but would like to enjoy a healthy cup of tea, we do have green and black tea extracts in our store that are fluoride- and caffeine-free.
Importance of Drinking Pure Water
Nonetheless, I believe that pure water is what we were designed to drink and once we veer too far from this fluid there is a potential of developing some health problems. A rough guide to determine how much water you should drink is about a quart a day for every 50 pounds of body weight you carry. Please understand that this is nothing but an estimate. It is far better to listen to what your body is telling you about how thirsty you are. You can also monitor your urine as a good guide to how much water you need (your urine will be pale (not dark) yellow if you're getting a good amount of water).
Water is extremely important to your health and quality of life. You can exist without food for months, but without water you can only survive for a few days. In fact, your body is made up mostly of water, which:
Every day you lose water from your body through your urine, stool and sweat, and this fluid needs to be replenished. That is why your body has come equipped with a mechanism that tells you when you need to replenish your supply -- it's called thirst! However, you must be cautious of the type of water you are putting in your body because many sources contain toxins and contaminants that may harm your health.
So what type of water should you be drinking?
Clean, spring water and filtered water -- I do not recommend drinking tap water or distilled water. And contrary to traditional belief, it's also important to avoid fluoridated water.
A helpful step you can take for you and your family is to ensure the safety of your tap water supply by having it tested. This will help you to determine what type of filter you need to make sure your water is free from heavy metals, bacteria and other harmful contaminants.
Additionally, it is environmentally prudent to avoid bottled water, as it is a serious strain on the environment. Plus, some bottled water may not be any better than plain old tap water.
For more information on the importance of drinking pure water, please review my past article Do You Really Need Eight Glasses of Water a Day?
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