Research in Sport Medicine and Technology

 The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of short-term green tea (matcha) supplementation on fat burning rate during exercise in obese women. The subjects of this study were 10 obese women (36.8±4.7 yrs, BMI 32.6±5.9 kg/m2, weight 83.4±1.9 kg). Subjects consumed 1 g/day matcha for 7 days. An incremental exercise test on a treadmill was performed before and after the supplementation period to measure the maximal fat oxidation (MFO) and corresponding intensity (FATmax). Blood samples were taken before and immediately after the test for measuring the serum levels of Glycerol. Paired t-test and ANOVA was used to compare the means of variables. There was no significant difference in mean FATmax between before and after matcha supplementation (p=0.481). Also, no significant difference was observed in MFO between before and after matcha supplementation (p=0.587). Matcha supplementation after one exercise session did not have a significant effect on plasma glycerol; However, exercise alone reduced plasma glycerol levels. In general, the findings of this study showed that matcha supplementation, at least in short-term period, does not improve the fat oxidation rate and plasma glycerol during exercise in obese women.