Here is an old post of mine that I thought was worth repeating.

I work from home in Avalon on Wednesday and Friday's, which gives me the opportunity to swim in the ocean in the morning when I would usually be training  clients. While I was swimming today, I thought I might write a quick piece on  the virtues of a nutrient which I use to enhance fat burning during aerobic  exercise. Anyone who  knows me will not be surprised - it's tea, in particular  green tea.

Green tea has been well noted in recent years for it's  numerous health properties. The key to tea's health benefits is a class of polyphenols which tea  contains in abundance. So far, over 4,000 phenolic compounds have been  identified. Polyphenols, like other antioxidants, help protect cells from oxidative damage. One of the most powerful
and  researched phenolic compounds is a group called catechins, in particular, a catechin known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). 

Research has  demonstrated that EGCG may be protective against certain cancers,  heart disease, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's  and Parkinson's disease. Green tea has also been shown to lower
blood glucose,  reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, increase feel good brain chemicals  (dopamine and GABA) 
 and stimulate the metabolism.

Of interest for the exerciser is the effect  that green tea has on fat oxidation rates at both rest and during exercise. A  study recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition  found that a green tea extract supplement containing around 900 mg of polyphenols and 365 mg of EGCG increased fat  oxidation during moderate-intensity exercise 17% more than the placebo and  improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance by 13% in healthy young  men.

Using this information, I provide green tea for all clients at my gym prior to training. I use the Jasmine tea from expert tea merchant Clayton Pine http://www.pineteacoffee.com.au/ and  if clients don't like the taste of green tea, I suggest taking a green tea extract similar to the one used in this study. The highest quality EGCG supplement is made by Kingsway Compounding  1300 564 799.

If making the green tea, you'll want about 2 cups of tea that has been steeped for about 10 minutes.