What’s the Best Time to Drink Matcha?
By Matcha Essence
The time when you drink your daily matcha plays a huge role in how much benefit you get from every cup. It all depends on what you’re trying to do and here are some of the best times when to and when to not to drink matcha because timing can make a huge difference.
So, what’s the best time to drink matcha? Let’s spill the matcha tea.
1. Morning Matcha: The Perfect Start
Many people are starting to swap their morning coffee for matcha. Matcha gives your brain a very specific advantage compared to coffee thanks to its unique blend of caffeine and L-theanine. L-theanine is an amino acid that increases alpha brain wave activity and matcha has around 30–40 mg of caffeine, enough to give you a lift without overwhelming your body. Now coupling matcha’s caffeine with L-theanine gives you that calm focus and alert state of mind. Therefore, starting your day whether that be 5am, 9am or whenever time in the morning with matcha is the best time to have your matcha as this sets the tone for the day.
Research has shown that combining L-theanine with caffeine can sharpen attention and improve reaction time more than caffeine alone whereas Coffee alone, often spikes cortisol your body’s stress hormone while matcha helps keep it steady. That’s why so many people describe feeling clear-headed and ‘in the zone’ after their morning cup.
2. Midday Matcha: Beat the Afternoon Slump
The dreaded 3pm crash is real. Just look around the Melbourne CBD around this time and you see all the corporate people walking around like they just woke up. You would normally see this between 2–4 pm, most people experience a natural dip in energy as part of the circadian rhythm. In addition, adenosine, a chemical in the brain that makes you feel drowsy, also builds up during the day, which naturally adds to the slump. Don’t have time for this afternoon crash? Try our Matcha Essence ceremonial matcha it’s imported directly from Japan and packed here in Australia.
A cup of matcha in the afternoon is a gentler way to get through this dip compared to coffee. Again, the L-theanine in matcha plays a very important part and it slows down the release of caffeine into the bloodstream, giving you a smooth lift without the sharp rise and fall that coffee brings.
3. Pre-Workout Matcha: A Natural Performance Boost
One of matcha’s hidden gems that a lot of people don’t know is its potential as a natural pre-workout drink. The caffeine helps improve endurance, but it’s EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) makes it especially powerful. EGCG antioxidant helps your body burn fat more efficiently for fuel during exercise.
Research suggests that tea extracts increase fat burning during exercise, which means drinking matcha before a gym session, a run, Reformer Pilates or whatever you choose to get your heart rate up could help your body tap into fat stores as energy. The combination of improved endurance, focus and antioxidant support makes matcha a great choice before moving your body without stressing the body that some pre-workout supplements can cause.
4. When Not to Drink Matcha
We talked about when is the best time to drink matcha, but I feel like this wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t talk about when not to drink matcha. It may not come as a shock to many but drinking matcha too late at night can make it harder to fall asleep. The caffeine in matcha has a half-life of about 5–6 hours. That means if you have a cup at 6pm, half the caffeine may still be in your system close to midnight and this is why this can disrupt your sleep. So, the best times to drink matcha are generally in the mornings and afternoon.
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The result?
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