Most of you are probably coffee drinkers, and there is nothing wrong with that. Coffee has excellent performance enhancing benefits. However, there is a drink that is better than coffee, and it is tea. In many cultures tea has been and still to this day is a traditional drink. Places like China, Japan, Russia, etc. are all big tea drinkers. The history of tea is impressive, but that is for another time. In this article, I am going to talk about the benefits of L-theanine and caffeine. Both work in tandem to provide your body with many performance boosting, health-related, and Jiu-jitsu improving benefits. So, in a sport where controlling anxiety, having a sharp mind, and brain performance is vital, how can tea be beneficial?

L-theanine

Theanine (L-theanine) is an amino acid found in tea. It has a very calming effect on the nervous system. All teas contain L-theanine and some more than others. Green tea is probably the best source of theanine compared to others such as white or black. The power of theanine lies in its ability to supercharge the conversations your brain cells have between each other. Many studies link tea with improving memory, focus, relaxation, and alertness. Bruce Lee probably drank a lot of tea. He was ‘’like water.’’ You are probably thinking; I should be drinking tea before bed. Hold on there partner! Tea also contains caffeine which is a stimulant. The caffeine release from tea is much smoother, and it lasts longer. Caffeine and theanine work in partnership to deliver this calm and focused alertness while lowering anxiety. You transform into Bruce Lee when you drink it.

Tea before Jits

Drinking coffee raises your blood pressure, may give you jitters, and make you crash. Caffeine ‘’crash’’ is typical when people use coffee for energy when they are tired. Tea still has caffeine, but its effects are smoother due to the amino acid mentioned above. For those of you who train in the morning try drinking green tea with drops of lemon before Jiu-jitsu. You will feel more focused, alert, calm, energetic and you will trigger fat loss. Yep, tea increases fat oxidation. Prepare to become a lean, mean jiu-jitsu machine. Tea is also full of antioxidants so adding some tea to your routine will help rid of the adverse side effects of training.

Give tea a try. It might be a good substitute for all of you coffee addicts. Adding some lemon to your tea will enhance its beneficial contents. The mental enhancing benefits of tea are great for Jiu-jitsu practitioners. Tea is a natural drink, so you do not have to worry about side effects. However, it still has caffeine, and one of its side effects is dehydration. That means you should always make sure you are drinking enough water and staying hydrated. So tea will improve mental performance, lower anxiety, increase fat oxidation, give you a steady release of energy, keep you focused, and decrease stress.