How to Use Ceremonial Organic Matcha for Performance
August 16, 2023
Whether you’re a professional athlete or practice sports as a hobby, one thing becomes a priority. Your ability to hit a personal record or win a race depends on your performance.
Many athletes rely on consistent training, a good coach, sleep, and nutrition to maximize their performance capabilities.
And although we may not all be pining for the next Olympics, it never hurts to support our activities with clean alternatives to pre-workout products, which are often overstimulating (filled with caffeine) and contain artificial sweeteners and colours. Cotton candy for breakfast, anyone? No thank you.
Here is how you can take matcha for your daily performance needs.
Matcha and Versatility: Three Ways of Taking Matcha Tea
Most people have the misconception that preparing matcha takes longer than brewing coffee. For performance-concerned folks, time is of the essence. Preparing matcha takes less than 5 minutes if you have the right matcha accessories. If you have an extra few minutes in the morning, we recommend preparing matcha the traditional way. Bring water to a boil at 80 C/175F and whisk a teaspoon of ceremonial organic matcha powder in a ceremonial bowl until smooth and a thin layer of froth at the top. There’s something meditative about preparing a cup of matcha compared to flipping on the brew switch of your coffee maker.
If you don’t have minutes to spare in the morning, in that case, we got you too. Our organic ceremonial travel packets were carefully designed to meet the needs of busy individuals, athletes, yogis, hikers, and campers. All you need is a water bottle and clean water, that’s it. Every packet has exactly 1.5 grams of pure ceremonial organic matcha powder.
Nutrition is paramount to performance. But you might not want to ingest a heavy meal before your practice. Smoothies provide a great alternative to a full meal because you can include various nutrient-dense foods like spirulina, matcha powder, maca, lion’s mane, veggies, fruits, omega 3s, and protein powder. Matcha powder makes a delicious smoothie- check out our latest recipe post for refreshing summer smoothies using matcha powder.
Drink Matcha to Calm Your Nerves
The period before a competition or race can be nerve-wracking. Although reaching for a fizzy energy drink or a coffee might be tempting, these drinks can actually worsen your anxiety. Also, coffee is fairly acidic, which may lead to acid reflux symptoms, especially if you’re doing intense training.
Matcha, conversely, is quite alkalizing and light on the gut. It contains about a third of the caffeine content of coffee and is nature’s richest source of L-theanine, known for its adaptogenic properties. Taking matcha as an alternative to coffee or energy drinks can soothe your nerves and help you stay alert before an event.
Will Matcha Increase My Stamina?
In high-performance sports and activities, developing endurance and stamina is essential. A systematic review of caffeine supplementation and its effect on sports performance concluded that “…consuming moderate doses of caffeine (3–6 mg·kg−1)…is enough to produce benefits to physical performance with a low prevalence and magnitude of side effects.” Matcha contains approximately 25-35mg of caffeine per 1-gram serving. But unlike coffee, matcha is a more sustainable energy source that doesn’t come with dips and crashes. Courtney Thompson, a two-time Olympic volleyball player, has spoken about how taking Domatcha helps her feel her best physically and mentally throughout the relentless six-hour trainings. She also shared that she got about half her teammates on the “matcha train” during the Rio Olympics.
Matcha Antioxidant Content and Role in Performance
High-intensity exercise can stimulate a high production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Suppose a high concentration of reactive species is not neutralized by the available antioxidant enzymes in the body. In that case, it can increase oxidative stress, cause harm to the body, and lower athletic performance. Rich sources of antioxidants have been proven to lower oxidative stress. In one particular study, green tea was analyzed for its high antioxidant properties. Matcha, made from the whole green tea leaf, contains up to ten times the antioxidant content of steeped green tea. Because matcha is a potent source of antioxidants, it may reduce oxidative stress on the body and aid in endurance-related physical activity.
Skip the Coffee, Reach for Matcha Before Your Next Workout
The difference between coffee and matcha is that matcha helps you feel uniquely calm yet energized simultaneously. It can allow you to train with calm intensity without the nervousness or jitteriness associated with other caffeine sources like coffee. Emotional regulation can positively impact your mental well-being and aid in your capabilities to perform at a higher level. Not only so, but matcha is also wonderfully versatile, making it an easy choice to adapt to your lifestyle. Don’t just take it from us; have a look at our testimonials and witness the breadth of individuals who choose Domatcha to meet their daily performance needs. Not many products have the duality feature of stone ground matcha powder: calmness and energy.