Is Drinking Green Tea Before Workouts Good for Your Results?

Drinking green tea before workouts is one of the best ways to improve the results you get from exercising.

I was never a green tea drinker until I played a basketball season in Kazakhstan, where I met my wife and began to learn more about the health benefits of different types of tea.

However, once I tried it, I noticed that the gentle, consistent energy of drinking green tea before exercise was perfect for many occasions.

Although I still enjoy drinking coffee or pre-workout supplements before exercising, I now also drink green tea before workouts.

Read below to learn about the many benefits of drinking green tea before workouts, including increased metabolism, better workouts, and improved fat oxidation.

Benefits of Drinking Green Tea Before Workouts

I don’t drink green tea before a workout every day because I also enjoy certain pre workout supplements and drinking coffee before workouts as well, but I have made drinking green tea pre workout a part of my life, and I have loved the results!

Check out these specific reasons why you should choose to drink green tea before a workout:

Increased Fat Burning

Drinking green tea before a workout is a great idea for people looking to lose weight or reduce their body fat because it can increase your metabolism, which helps you burn fat and lose weight quicker and more efficiently.

Many nutritional properties of green tea promote your metabolism (otherwise known as your basal metabolic rate), but two of the most important are caffeine and Epigallocatechin Gallate (ECGC).

When you drink green tea before workouts, EGCG and caffeine synergize to increase your metabolism and help you burn more fat!

EGCG is a catechin, a type of natural phenol and antioxidant. EGCG belongs to the group of flavanols, which is part of the chemical family- flavonoids.

The EGCG content of green tea makes it one of the best natural fat burners since research has shown it can boost your metabolism and promote fat oxidation on its own and when combined with caffeine.

I especially prefer to drink green tea before “fasted” workouts in the morning when fat oxidization is already easier. In my opinion, combining green tea with fasted cardio is one of the best ways to burn fat and lose weight quickly!

If your goal is to get an aesthetic body, drinking green tea before your workouts is a great way to do it!

Improved Workout Performance

Another reason you should drink green tea before a workout is that green tea consumption helps your body use body fat as fuel for your workouts, which promotes longer, more intense, and better workouts.

When you drink a cup of ECGC-containing green tea, EGCG signals the body to break down fat cells and use them as energy instead of glucose or glycogen, thus promoting endurance capacity.

The body stores glucose as glycogen for you to use as energy for physical activity, which is why it is so important for athletes to consume the best carbohydrate sources throughout the day.

However, the body can only store so much glycogen at one time.

Contrarily, the body can store much larger amounts of fat, but it is more difficult to use it as energy because it prefers to use glucose or glycogen first.

Not only does using body fat as an energy source help you train longer, but it will also help you lose body fat more quickly.

So, you should drink green tea before a workout to train longer and more intensely and to help you lose body fat more effectively!

Additionally, the moderate amount of caffeine in green tea helps improve your endurance and ability to complete better workouts. Green tea contains much less caffeine than coffee or pre-workout drinks, but it contains a sufficient amount to give you a boost for your workouts.

Green tea contains only about 25-40mg of caffeine per cup, yet it still promotes a strong, energizing feeling.

Compared to drinking pre workout supplements, green tea provides less intense but more sustained energy.

If you are sensitive to caffeine, the moderate caffeine content of green tea could be the best option to help push you through your workouts.

However, drinking green tea before workouts does not offer a rapid burst of energy immediately after drinking, so don’t expect a giant jolt of energy if you are feeling exhausted.

Overall Health & Wellness Support

There are benefits to drinking green tea pre workout, but one of the main reasons is that green tea is a healthy drink, and drinking green tea is generally good for your health.

First, green tea is one of the best sources of antioxidants, which are critical to good health.

Antioxidants play a vital role in preventing many diseases from developing over a lifespan, and green tea contains some of the most powerful antioxidants.

The antioxidants in green tea can reduce damage from UV sunlight, prevent the onset of diabetes, prevent the development of some cancers, and promote healthy skin quality, amongst other attributes.

If you are interested in preserving your long-term health and wellness, drinking green tea before exercising is a great way to achieve your goal.

Stress & Jitter Free Energy

Drinking green tea before workouts will provide energy, but it can also help you feel less stressed and not wired or jittery like other high-caffeine drinks.

Green tea contains a high concentration of l-Theanine, which is an excellent nootropic for energy and a compound that helps reduce stress.

L-theanine promotes good mental health and can actually promote good sleep quality.

Drinking green tea pre workout consistently is an excellent way to reduce stress while increasing your energy to exercise.

Better Muscle Recovery

Drinking green tea before a workout can support muscle recovery by reducing the oxidative stress and inflammation that naturally occur during intense physical activity.

The key compound responsible is Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), a potent antioxidant found in green tea. EGCG helps neutralize free radicals generated during exercise, which can otherwise damage muscle tissue and prolong soreness (Nogueira et al., 2011).

Green tea’s anti-inflammatory effects also support quicker repair of microtears in muscle fibers, potentially reducing delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and promoting better performance in subsequent training sessions.

Additionally, the caffeine and l-theanine combo in green tea can help improve blood flow and focus during workouts, which may indirectly enhance neuromuscular efficiency and reduce the strain on your muscles.

By lowering inflammation and supporting cellular recovery processes, drinking green tea before exercise can be a smart strategy for athletes aiming to train more frequently with less fatigue and fewer setbacks.

Negatives of Green Tea Before Exercise

Although there are many benefits of drinking green tea before a workout, there are some cons to drinking green tea before exercising.

Smaller Caffeine Content

One of the main reasons I occasionally drink a pre workout supplement or coffee before a workout instead of green tea is that green tea does not contain much caffeine, and sometimes I want to drink something that provides more powerful energy.

Green tea only contains about 25-40mg of caffeine per cup, while coffee and pre workout supplements can easily contain over 100mg of caffeine per serving.

So if I want a powerful energy boost, I usually don’t drink green tea pre workout on those days.

Stomach Disruption

Another con of drinking green tea pre workout is that it can sometimes cause stomach issues. However, I wouldn’t say it is more noticeable than coffee or pre workout supplements.

Green tea is good for your digestive system, but if you drink green tea close to your workout time, it could cause a stomach issue.

However, I wouldn’t let these cons of drinking green tea before a workout impact your desire to try it!

Best Pre Workout Green Tea

If you think you want to try drinking green tea before a workout, you want to make sure you purchase a high-quality green tea product that you will happily drink each day.

As I said before, the best pre workout green tea, in my opinion, is MatchaDNA.

MatchaDNA is a Certified Organic Matcha from the Hunan district of China. The matcha tea used for MatchaDNA has been grown on family farms in China since the 13th Century!

The family farm where MatchaDNA is grown is at a high altitude, so it is away from chemical usage used in lower-grown tea gardens.

MatchaDNA is Certified USDA Organic, and they ensure that their teas are 100% free from any pesticides, herbicides, or other harmful substances!

Furthermore, MatchaDNA is tested for maximum purity, and each batch of tea leaves is handpicked and may have some variances to show ranges.

I love Matcha DNA because they come in tea bags, which is more convenient for me when I’m rushing to make green tea pre workout.

Matcha itself has more antioxidants than other types of green tea, so drinking matcha tea pre workout is your best option!

Try MatchaDNA before a workout, and I am confident you will not be disappointed!

Last update on 2025-04-27 / This article includes affiliate links/Images via Amazon Product Advertising API. I may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.

Best Alternatives to Green Tea Before Workouts

Although I love drinking green tea before workouts, other types of tea are also beneficial.

Outside of green tea, drinking yerba mate, oolong tea, or black tea before workouts can also provide unique benefits.

Here are a few quick comparisons for you:

Black Tea

Black tea is another excellent pre-workout tea, especially if you’re after a bit more stimulation.

It contains more caffeine than green or oolong tea—usually about 40-70mg per cup—and is packed with theaflavins and thearubigins, antioxidants that support cardiovascular function and fat burning.

Drinking black tea before exercise has been linked to improved endurance, better blood flow, and more efficient energy metabolism (Pan et al., 2016).

Like green tea, black tea may help promote body fat reduction when combined with regular exercise and a healthy diet.

The flavor is bolder and more robust than green tea, so it’s a great alternative if you’re looking for a change in taste and caffeine profile.

If you want to drink black tea before a workout, there are many great options.

If you would like a cheap yet organic, high-quality black tea, I suggest Lipton Organic Black Tea Bags:

Last update on 2025-04-27 / This article includes affiliate links/Images via Amazon Product Advertising API. I may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.

Yerba Mate

Yerba mate is one of the best alternatives to green tea before workouts because it provides a stronger energy boost while still being plant-based and antioxidant-rich.

A traditional South American tea, yerba mate contains around 85mg of caffeine per cup, putting it closer to coffee than green tea in terms of stimulating effects.

However, it also includes theobromine and theophylline, compounds that help promote sustained energy and mental clarity without the harsh crash that some people experience from coffee or synthetic pre-workouts.

Yerba mate is also loaded with polyphenols, saponins, and xanthines, which support fat metabolism, reduce oxidative stress, and help boost physical performance (Heck & de Mejia, 2007).

It’s especially useful if you want a more intense but still clean-feeling energy surge before exercising.

Personally, I turn to yerba mate on days when I need a little extra motivation but still want to avoid the jittery or wired feeling that can come with high-stimulant pre-workouts.

Last update on 2025-04-27 / This article includes affiliate links/Images via Amazon Product Advertising API. I may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea sits between green and black tea in terms of oxidation and flavor, and it’s a highly underrated pre-workout tea option.

Oolong tea contains moderate caffeine levels (30-50mg per cup), making it stronger than green tea but milder than coffee or yerba mate.

It also contains theaflavins and catechins, which work synergistically to improve metabolism and aid in fat oxidation—similar to the benefits seen with green tea (Vuong et al., 2011).

What makes oolong unique is its impact on lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity, which is helpful if you’re trying to manage your weight or improve body composition.

If you’re looking for a smoother, lightly floral pre-workout drink that still supports fat loss and exercise performance, oolong tea is worth trying.

It’s also easy on the stomach, which makes it a smart option before high-intensity sessions.

Last update on 2025-04-27 / This article includes affiliate links/Images via Amazon Product Advertising API. I may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.

Pre Workout Supplements

Green tea can absolutely hold its own as a pre-workout drink, but sometimes, you might want the extra ingredients in a good pre-workout supplement to help with muscle pumps, endurance, or focus.

For example, many pre-workouts include more caffeine, citrulline malate, beta-alanine, or creatine monohydrate, which help boost blood flow, reduce fatigue, and improve muscular performance—benefits you won’t get from green tea alone.

If I want the performance-enhancing ingredients of a pre-workout supplement with the mild caffeine boost of green tea, sometimes I combine green tea with a stim-free pre-workout to get the best of both worlds.

If you’re just looking for clean energy and fat oxidation benefits, green tea is more than enough.

But on days when you’re lifting heavy or doing intense training, pre-workout supplements can offer an extra edge.

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre Workout is my favorite pre-workout supplement because it provides a clean, effective energy boost without any harsh crashes.

It includes clinically studied ingredients like caffeine, citrulline malate, beta-alanine, and creatine monohydrate to enhance endurance, strength, and overall training performance.

Last update on 2025-04-27 / This article includes affiliate links/Images via Amazon Product Advertising API. I may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.

Another one of my go-to options is RSP AminoLean, especially on days when I want something lighter or lower in caffeine.

It contains green tea extract, which supports fat metabolism and gives you some of the same fat-burning benefits you’d get from drinking green tea before workouts—along with amino acids and other natural energizers.

Last update on 2025-04-27 / This article includes affiliate links/Images via Amazon Product Advertising API. I may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.

Coffee

Coffee is another go-to for me before workouts—especially early morning sessions when I’m dragging.

A typical cup of coffee has 90-120mg of caffeine, which gives a quick energy jolt and can help increase alertness, focus, and overall performance.

Coffee also enhances fat oxidation and contains antioxidants that support cellular health, just like green tea.

That said, when comparing green tea vs coffee, green tea offers a smoother, more sustained energy release thanks to l-theanine, which buffers the caffeine rush.

It also contains a higher concentration of catechins like EGCG, which support metabolic health and body fat reduction.

Four Sigmatic Focus Mushroom Coffee is my favorite coffee to drink before workouts because it combines organic coffee with Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushrooms, giving me a smooth energy boost and enhanced mental focus without jitters or a crash.

The added adaptogens support immune health and cognitive function, making it a powerful and balanced choice for pre-workout performance.

Last update on 2025-04-27 / This article includes affiliate links/Images via Amazon Product Advertising API. I may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.

Energy Drinks

Most mainstream energy drinks are not ideal alternatives to green tea before workouts due to their high sugar content, artificial flavors, synthetic caffeine, and questionable ingredient profiles. While they may offer a quick burst of energy, these drinks often lead to crashes, jitters, and long-term health concerns—especially when consumed regularly.

However, there are cleaner, healthier energy drink options that serve as great alternatives to drinking green tea before exercise.

Celsius Energy Drinks are my favorite choice because they contain natural caffeine from green tea extract, guarana, and ginger root.

They’re free from sugar, artificial preservatives, and aspartame, and they also include thermogenic compounds to help boost fat metabolism and energy expenditure.

Last update on 2025-04-27 / This article includes affiliate links/Images via Amazon Product Advertising API. I may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.

Ghost Energy Drinks are another top-tier alternative, especially if you’re looking for enhanced mental focus and workout performance.

They’re formulated with ingredients like natural caffeine, L-carnitine, Alpha-GPC, and NeuroFactor™, which are specifically chosen to improve energy, cognitive function, and mind-muscle connection during training.

Ghost is also sugar-free and transparently labeled, so you know exactly what you’re putting in your body.

Last update on 2025-04-27 / This article includes affiliate links/Images via Amazon Product Advertising API. I may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.

For athletes and active individuals looking for a convenient, clean, and performance-enhancing energy source, Celsius and Ghost offer great alternatives to green tea while still capturing many of its benefits, including metabolism support and improved endurance.

Can You Drink Green Tea After a Workout, Too?

Absolutely—you can drink green tea after a workout, and it might even offer unique benefits for recovery and long-term health.

Green tea contains powerful antioxidants like EGCG that help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation caused by intense exercise.

This can support faster muscle recovery, decrease soreness, and help protect against cellular damage.

Post-workout, the mild caffeine content can also help maintain alertness and mental clarity without interfering with your body’s natural recovery process. Plus, the l-theanine in green tea promotes relaxation and reduces stress, which can be especially helpful after a high-intensity training session.

If your goal is weight loss or body recomposition, green tea can also continue to support fat oxidation and metabolic activity even after your workout ends. It’s a clean, low-calorie drink that hydrates while promoting long-term body composition goals.

Drinking green tea after a workout is a simple way to keep supporting your fitness results—even after you leave the gym.

Final Thoughts: Should You Drink Green Tea Before Workouts?

Drinking green tea before workouts is a simple, effective way to support fat burning, boost your energy, and enhance exercise performance—without relying on high-stimulant pre-workout supplements.

The combination of caffeine, EGCG, and l-theanine offers a unique synergy: improved endurance and focus, increased fat oxidation, and reduced post-workout inflammation.

Whether your goal is weight loss, better workouts, or long-term health, green tea delivers measurable benefits.

It’s also a smart choice for individuals who prefer natural pre-workout alternatives or are sensitive to the crash from more intense stimulants.

From fasted cardio to strength training, green tea can be an asset in nearly any training routine.

If you’re looking to get more from each session while supporting recovery and overall wellness, green tea before a workout is definitely worth trying.