ABSTRACT
Green tea is brewed from the unfermented dried leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis. Human studies confirmed a protective effect of green tea catechins against oxidative damage caused by exercise. Taken together, ingestion of green tea extract rich in catechins and caffeine may be a successful and safe strategy for athletes to gradually lose weight, especially when combined with moderate energy restriction and increased energy expenditure. Weight loss in athletes is motivated by a desire to optimise performance by improving the power–weight ratio, or for aesthetic reasons in leanness sport. Despite the well-documented negative consequences of rapid weight loss on health status, the prevalence of aggressive and harmful procedures for rapid weight reduction is very high in most combat sport. Weight regulation for elite combat sport athletes is considered an important component of the athletes’ mental preparation for competition.
