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Green Tea
and Running Endurance
If you're looking for a
way to improve the results of your workouts, you might think about
trying a cup of green tea. In a study of the effects of green tea
extract on running endurance and energy metabolism in animals, mice were
given either a standard diet or a standard diet plus green tea extract
for 8-10 weeks. Then they were put on treadmills to see how long they
could run until they became exhausted.
The researchers
discovered that the mice that received the largest amount of green tea
extract (.5%) were able to run a full 30% longer than those that
received no green tea extract. They also had higher levels of glycogen
in their muscles and more free fatty acids in their blood, both of which
are used for muscle fuel. This indicates that their bodies were sending
more fuel to their muscles, where it was needed, and less to adipose
tissue, where it would be stored as fat.
Another
green tea benefit noted by the researchers was a significant decrease in
lactic acid in the animals’ blood. Lactic acid, as any athlete will tell
you, is responsible for post-workout muscle soreness. Less lactic acid
translates to less soreness the day after a hefty workout. So don’t
forget to include green tea as part of your shape-up program!
(Murase
T, Haramizu S, Shimotoyodome A, et al. Green tea extract improves
running endurance in mice by stimulating lipid utilization during
exercise. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol
2006;290(6):R1550-6.
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Nadine Taylor, M.S., R.D. presents
GreenTeaLibrary.com, the most
comprehensive collection of scientific information describing the
health benefits of green tea.
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