Ingredient Spotlight: Green Tea Extract

Green tea extract is one of the most popular and widely used dietary supplements. It’s found in everything from fat burners to nutrient partitioning products and even pre workout supplements.

But, what is it about green tea specifically that makes it such a powerful and versatile supplement?

Let’s discuss…

The Magic of Green Tea Extract

Green tea is a plant that has been used for thousands of years. Most commonly it is steeped in hot water and consumed as a tea, but it also has been used as a healing tonic in many traditional practices.

The leaves of the tea plant (camellia sinensis) are loaded with bioactive compounds known as catechins. The most well-known and researched of these compounds is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG, for short).

What Does EGCG Do?

EGCG (as well as other catechins in green tea) possess a number of intriguing biological activities.

One of the most notable is its ability to inhibit the enzyme catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT).

Increased Energy & Motivation

COMT methylates and inactivates various molecules, including dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline. These compounds affect mood, motivation, motor control, and alertness. By inhibiting the actions of COMT, green tea extract (via EGCG) can support stronger, longer-lasting increases in the neurotransmitters/neuromodulators induced by stimulants, such as caffeine, yohimbine, or synephrine.

Inhibition of COMT may also partly explain the various pro-fat burning and weight loss benefits commonly associated with green tea consumption.

But, that’s not all.

Supports Cardiometabolic Health

Green tea has also been found to support cardiometabolic health.

In fact, a 2014 review found that green tea consumption supports cardiovascular health by reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as improving total cholesterol markers.

Supplementation with green tea catechins has also been found to increase the overall antioxidative potential of the blood, which results in a reduction in LDL (“bad cholesterol”) oxidation.

Nitric Oxide Support

What’s more, green tea catechins may also be able to support greater blood flow (e.g. better nutrient delivery and muscle pumps!) This may be due to the ability of green tea catechins to increase Nitric Oxide (NO) bioavailability.

Nutrient Partitioning & Body Recomposition

Green tea also favorably supports muscle gain and body recomposition.

In addition to its ability to aid the body’s natural fat-burning chemicals, green tea also benefits carbohydrate metabolism in two ways:

suppressing adipocyte GLUT4 translocation
stimulating GLUT4 translocation in muscle fibers

Essentially, green tea helps muscle cells become more receptive to carbohydrates and fat cells less receptive to them.

Furthermore, EGCG is able to partially inhibit the enzyme Fatty Acid Synthase. This enzyme is responsible for de novo lipogenesis -- how the body synthesizes fatty acids.

Research shows that, when combined with exercise over the course of 12 weeks, green tea catechin supplementation is associated with a loss of 2.2kg (~4.84lbs) bodyweight compared to a 1kg (2.2lb) loss in the control group.

Where Can I Find Green Tea Extract?

Our natural anabolic MassMax supplies 200mg of premium-grade green tea extract (standardized to 50% EGCG) per serving.

MassMax brings together a hand-picked blend of complementary natural agents to help athletes train harder, recover faster, build more muscle & strength, and achieve the greatest results possible!

Click here to learn more about MassMax and what makes it the best natural anabolic on the market!