Matcha Tea Reduces Fatigue, Aids Resistance Training Adaptation

The scientific paper by Shigeta et al., titled Matcha Green Tea Beverage Moderates Fatigue and Supports Resistance Training-Induced Adaptation, explores how daily consumption of matcha green tea may influence physical performance and recovery in individuals undergoing resistance training. The study focuses on matcha’s rich blend of bioactive compounds—such as antioxidants, amino acids, and dietary fibers—and how these components might help reduce exercise-induced fatigue, lower stress responses, and promote muscle adaptation. Given the growing interest in natural dietary aids for fitness and health, this research provides valuable insights into matcha’s potential as a supportive nutritional strategy for improving training outcomes.

Matcha is a special type of powdered green tea made from shade-grown leaves. It's known for its high levels of antioxidants, amino acids like theanine, and plant-based nutrients such as lutein and vitamin K. These compounds may help reduce stress, lower fatigue, and improve recovery after exercise.

This scientific paper looked at how drinking matcha every day could affect muscle strength, stress, and fatigue in young men doing resistance training. The researchers wanted to know if adding matcha to their routine could help them adapt better to their workouts.

The idea is simple: when you train your muscles, they get stronger. But this process can be slowed down by stress, fatigue, and poor recovery. The researchers tested it in a controlled experiment since matcha contains nutrients that may fight stress and support recovery.

The study was divided into two separate trials with a total of 36 healthy men who didn’t usually exercise. None of them had chronic illnesses, smoked, or took any medication or supplements. They were split into two groups: one drank matcha, the other drank a placebo tea-flavored beverage. Both groups also did resistance training twice a week.

• Trial 1 lasted 8 weeks and focused on changes in muscle strength, fatigue, and gut health.
• Trial 2 lasted 12 weeks and focused on muscle mass, stress markers in saliva, and visual function.

Each matcha drink contained 1.5 grams of matcha powder. Participants drank it twice a day throughout the training period. The exercises included chest presses, leg presses, and other common gym workouts. The team also measured muscle strength, body composition, blood and saliva markers, and gut bacteria.

The study was approved by Kyoto Prefectural University’s ethics committee and followed international research standards.

In Trial 1, participants who drank matcha showed greater improvement in leg strength compared to those who had the placebo. After 12 weeks in Trial 2, those in the matcha group had more muscle mass than the placebo group.

"The change in skeletal muscle mass in response to training was larger in the matcha group," the researchers noted.

The researchers suggest that matcha may speed up the body’s natural ability to grow stronger muscles during training.

At the start of the training program, people in the matcha group reported feeling less tired after exercise. This difference was especially clear during the first week.

The study states that "subjective fatigue after exercise at 1 week of training was lower than that in the placebo group."

Even though both groups did the same exercises, those drinking matcha seemed to recover faster in the early stages.

After 12 weeks, the matcha group had lower levels of salivary cortisol, a hormone that rises with stress. This suggests that matcha may help reduce the body’s stress response during hard workouts.

“The change in secretion rate was significantly lower in the matcha group than that in the placebo group,” the study reports.

Cortisol can slow muscle growth and increase fatigue, so having less may help with training results.

The matcha group temporarily increased certain gut bacteria linked to better digestion and energy use. These included Ruminococcus, Oscillospira, and Butyricimonas. These bacteria help break down fiber and make short-chain fatty acids, which support energy metabolism.

Interestingly, the more these bacteria increased, the more muscle strength participants gained.

“The change in maximum strength for the leg press showed a significant positive correlation with the change in abundance of the genera Ruminococcus,” the study explains.

However, these changes were strongest at week 4 and returned to baseline by week 8. This suggests that gut microbiota shifts from matcha might be short-term unless consistently supported.

The researchers also checked to see if matcha would help with visual tasks, since some of its nutrients are known to support eye health. However, in this study, matcha didn’t make a clear difference in visual performance. The researchers think these effects might be more noticeable in older adults or athletes under more stress.

This study shows that something as simple as drinking matcha every day may help people recover faster and get more benefits from their strength workouts. It’s especially interesting that matcha seems to help with both physical and mental stress, which are often connected.

By reducing fatigue and stress, matcha could make workouts feel easier, especially in the beginning, and may help muscles grow faster over time. The gut health changes add another layer, suggesting that the body’s internal systems, including digestion and metabolism, may play a role in how we adapt to exercise.

Even though the researchers don’t claim matcha is a magic solution, they do suggest it could be a helpful addition to a balanced training and nutrition plan.

This study gives promising signs that daily matcha green tea might make a real difference in how your body responds to strength training. It may help reduce early fatigue, lower stress hormones, and support muscle growth. The drink also seems to boost helpful gut bacteria, which could improve overall energy and recovery.

While more research is needed to fully understand how all the ingredients in matcha work together, this study shows that adding a matcha drink to your fitness routine could be a smart, natural way to support better performance and recovery.

Bottom line: Matcha green tea isn’t just trendy—it might actually help you feel better and get stronger from your workouts.