PUBLISHED 12/06/2005
Before running a morning race, Jeremy Smith doesn't drink coffee, cola, or energy drinks. He reaches instead for a mug of green tea. "A cup about 30 minutes before a race makes me feel good in all the right places without feeling bloated," says Smith, of Corvallis, Oregon, who has finished a dozen marathons.
Lots of runners pick tea for their prerun jolt. The caffeine is a proven performance enhancer that increases endurance, improves alertness, and makes running feel easier. True, tea provides only half as much caffeine as coffee or energy drinks (or 40 to 60 milligrams per cup), but it's also easier to take. The acid in coffee and the carbonation in cola and energy drinks can be hard on jittery prerace stomachs--leading to heartburn and stomach upset.
Tea also has more health benefits than the other caffeinated options. Along with trace vitamins and minerals, tea is rich in a class of disease-fighting antioxidants known as polyphenols, which can help prevent cancer and heart disease. Studies have also credited tea with improving dental health, aiding weight loss, boosting immunity, and increasing bone density. Tufts University nutrition professor Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., estimates that the amount of antioxidants in two cups of tea is equal to the amount in a serving of fruits or vegetables.
Steep Benefits
As the health benefits of tea have become better known, the days of Lipton as your only option are long gone. In fact, the tea aisle at your grocery store can be overwhelming. So can the conflicting news reports about which tea is "healthiest." Black, oolong, green, white, and all those herbals. Where to start?
All teas come from the Camellia sinensis plant. Black tea, the main ingredient in popular blends like Earl Grey and Orange Pekoe, is named for its dark, dried leaves, which have been completely oxidized (oxygen reacts with the oils in the leaves). The resulting tea has a strong taste that stands up to milk and sugar.
