What is green tea extract in pre-workout?

Green tea extract is a concentrated extract from the leaves of Camellia sinensis , rich in catechins such as EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). It is used in pre-workouts for possible effects on fat oxidation, energy expenditure and recovery. It works differently than classic stimulant ingredients: it does not increase strength or explosiveness directly, but can affect the way your body uses energy. In In this blog you can read what exactly green tea extract is and what it does in pre-workout context, what research shows about performance and fat burning, and what you should pay attention to in terms of safety and dosage.

What is Green Tea Extract?

Green tea extract is made by the active substances from green tea leaves to concentrate. Instead of a cup of tea with relatively low amounts of bioactive substances, an extract mainly produces higher doses of catechins. EGCG is the most studied of these. Depending on the extract may also contain caffeine unless the product is explicitly caffeine-free is.

Catechins function as antioxidants and influence enzymes involved in energy and fat metabolism. A cup of green Tea typically contains tens of milligrams of catechins; supplements and Pre-workouts can concentrate this to several hundred milligrams per dose. This higher concentration explains why effects are mainly in supplement form are being investigated.

What does Green Tea Extract do?

The main researched effect of green tea extract is a slight increase in energy expenditure and fat oxidation . Meta-analyses show that catechin-rich extracts, especially in combination with caffeine, the daily energy consumption can increase by a few percent increase and relative fat burning by approximately 10–16% compared to placebo ( Hursel et al., 2011 ).

Mechanistically, this occurs because catechins promote the breakdown of inhibit noradrenaline. This causes the sympathetic nervous system to remain active a little longer active, which can modestly increase thermogenesis and fat breakdown. Also during submaximal exercise sometimes uses a slightly higher percentage of fat as fuel used, with a small shift away from carbohydrate consumption ( Hodgson et al., 2013 ).

For strength trainers, the nuance is important. These are small, measurable effects , no transformations. Green tea extract does not replace calorie deficit, training volume, or protein intake. At most, it can be a play a supporting role when the foundation is already correct.

Green tea extract in pre-workout

Green tea extract is mainly added to pre-workouts to position the product as “metabolically supportive.” In theory, it can during training contribute to a slightly higher fat oxidation and possibly influence recovery processes. In practice, the dosages are in Pre-workouts are often lower than in studies that show clear effects.

Much research uses around 300–600 mg EGCG per day or similar amounts of catechin-rich extract. In an average Pre-workout often contains 100–300 mg of extract per serving, which amounts to significantly less EGCG. This means that the effect during one training session is usually is modest.

Longer interventions sometimes show small benefits. In A study using decaffeinated green tea extract improved fat oxidation and body composition slightly after several weeks of use ( Roberts et al., 2015 ). Other studies show increased fat oxidation after sprint and interval training, especially in less trained participants ( Gahreman et al., 2016 ).

For maximum strength or one-time PR attempts, green tea is extract is not a determining ingredient. The direct performance effects of a Pre-workout research shows that caffeine, sufficient carbohydrates and training status.

Is green tea extract a laxative?

Green tea extract is not a laxative . There is no evidence that it has a reliable effect on the bowel movements. In clinical and sports studies it is investigated for metabolic and antioxidant properties, not because of laxative effects.

At higher doses, especially on an empty stomach, some people experience gastrointestinal complaints such as nausea or diarrhea stool. These are side effects of gastrointestinal stress, not intentional laxative effects. At usual pre-workout dosages Most healthy athletes report no change in bowel movements.

Safety and side effects

For healthy adults, green tea extract is normal Use is generally well tolerated. Possible side effects include stomach upset, nervousness or sleep problems, especially when the extract contains caffeine and may is taken on the day.

The main safety discussion is about high EGCG intake from supplements . EFSA concluded that daily doses of around or above 800 mg EGCG from supplements in some people liver enzymes may increase ( EFSA, 2018 ). A systematic review suggests that lower supplement intake (around 300–350 mg EGCG per day) in healthy adults over is generally safe ( Hu et al., 2018 ). This is usually above what you would expect in one portion of pre-workout.

Athletes with existing liver problems, or those If you are taking liver-stressing medications, it is advisable to be extra careful and seek professional advice.

Who benefits from green tea extract?

Green tea extract may be especially relevant during a calorie deficit , when small contributions to fat oxidation are desired. It may also be appropriate for athletes with high training volumes, where some studies point to possible support of recovery and neuromuscular function under cumulative fatigue ( Machado et al., 2018 ).

For athletes who primarily focus on maximum strength and low repetitions, the effect in practice will be limited. There remain progressive overload, sleep and total energy and protein intake the decisive factors.

Conclusion: What is green tea extract in pre-workout?

Green tea extract is a concentrated source of catechins such as EGCG. Research shows that energy consumption and may slightly increase fat oxidation, especially at higher doses and over longer periods of time. In pre-workouts the dosages are usually lower, which makes the effect remains modest. It is not a laxative and not a magic fat burner, but an ingredient with a measurable, small supporting effect within the correct context.

Sources:

EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food. (2018).
Safety of green tea catechins. EFSA Journal, 16 (4), e05239.
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5239

Gahreman, D., Wang, R., Boutcher, Y.N., & Boutcher, SH (2016).
Green tea, intermittent sprinting exercise, and fat oxidation. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism , 2016, 1–7.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5037513/

Hodgson, A.B., Randell, R.K., & Jeukendrup, A.E (2013).
The effect of green tea extract on fat oxidation at rest and during exercise. Nutrition Reviews, 71 (3), 168–176.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23493529/

Hu, J., Webster, D., Cao, J., & Shao, A. (2018).
The safety of green tea and green tea extract consumption in adults. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 92 , 68–75.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29684551/

Hursel, R., Viechtbauer, W., & Westerterp-Plantenga, MS (2011).
The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: A meta analysis. Obesity Reviews, 12 (7), e573–e581.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21366839/

Machado, A. F., et al. (2018).
Green tea extract supplementation and recovery of neuromuscular function. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15 (1), 1–10.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30174618/

Roberts, J.D., et al. (2015).
Effects of decaffeinated green tea extract on fat oxidation and body composition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12 (1), 1–9.
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-014-0062-7