When triathlete fan Neal contacted teapigs hq a few weeks ago asking about green tea and the benefits of EGCG we knew he should give our super power green matcha a go! It really is the must have for any runner, cyclist, swimmer, tennis player, rugby fan, mountain climber (you get the idea..!)
Already a fan of our every day brew and Darjeeling he’d been exploring the possible benefits that EGCG (a super potent antioxidant) could have on his sporty endeavours.
Soon a matcha kit was winging its way to Neal and he was giving it a go – in the form of a matcha ‘shot’ which is perfect for a pre-training boost, just knock it back and go! And if you make it with cold water or juice, well you don’t even need to wait for the kettle to boil.
Here’s Neal initial thoughts in his first few days of taking matcha:
Day 1 5:30am
I groggily walked down to the kitchen and placed the Matcha pack, on the worktop and proceeded to half fill the shot glass with fresh apple juice. I then filled the scoop with matcha, poured it into the apple juice and whisked it up. The green liquid looks quite appetizing with the frothy head on top. Now for the tasting. Rather than shoot the drink I took an apprehensive drink and was very surprised by the taste. It is pleasant with an aftertaste of tea (this may sound obvious but being a Green tea drinker some green teas are quite unpalatable). This drink however is very nice and has a definite ‘tea’ aftertaste.
I finished my stretching exercises and left for my run.
Day 2 6:45am
Just finished my post run stretching and I feel quite good. I will keep taking the Matcha at the same time every morning and see if I notice a boost in my energy levels.
Day 2 6:00pm
I have just had another shot of Matcha. I didn’t want to have another shot too late in the day as I am unsure of whether the drink will stimulate me and I find it difficult to get to sleep.
Day 3 5:30am
Had a very good sleep last night so no need to worry about drinking the Matcha in the evening and not being able to sleep. Day two starting relatively fresh. Just had my morning shot of Matcha and raring to go.
Day 4 9:00am
This is around the time of day when I sometimes I start to waiver in work and head off for a coffee (I don’t normally drink coffee unless I am really tired). However, I don’t seem to be feeling as tired today. Does this mean the Matcha is invigorating me? Not sure but I definitely feel more alert.
So far so good! Keep your eyes peeled on the teapigs blog later this week to find out Neal’s thoughts after taking matcha for three weeks and in the meantime, check out our mini matcha review page to see what others are saying about our little green tea super hero.
