TV Olympians drink matcha tea for focus and energy

Medal winning Olympians such as Colin Jackson, Jamie Baulch and Rebecca Adlington OBE drink matcha tea to help cope with their busy schedules and a survey reveals it’s a growing trend.

“Drinking matcha is a habit I link to helping me feel more focused” said silver medal-winning Olympian sprint and hurdling athlete Colin Jackson.

Jackson, who won a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics and is now preparing to present the BBC’s coverage of the 2024 games in Paris, said: “Drinking matcha is a habit I link to helping me feel more focused. I drink it to freshen my mind and for a lift in energy.”

In a survey by OMGTea of 127 British matcha drinkers, 88 per cent said they experienced an increase in energy from drinking matcha while 83 per cent said that matcha improved their focus.

But the most positive response came when survey respondents were asked if drinking matcha regularly made them feel they wanted to lead a healthier lifestyle, to which 98 per cent responded: ‘yes’.

Meanwhile, fellow Olympian sprinter Jamie Baulch, who won a silver at the 1996 Olympic games, agreed that matcha improved his energy and focus. He said: “Matcha gives me a gentle boost and helps me feel revitalised. I find that matcha provides that pinpoint focus I need.”

Katherine Swift, CEO of Brighton-based matcha company OMGTea, said: “Matcha green tea has been drunk by Buddhist monks for centuries and is known to help to still and focus the mind – it is regarded as a drink of meditation.

“Samurai traditionally consumed matcha before battle, whereas Buddhist monks drank it for relaxation and to achieve a sense of Zen.

“It makes a lot of sense for people who need to focus and concentrate to drink matcha, whether they are Olympians, TV presenters, or just everyday people with busy lives. 

“In today’s fast-paced world, many individuals facing challenges at work and home could benefit from better focus and an energy boost.

“A good cup of matcha is a great way to start your day. If everyone drank a cup of matcha a day, I genuinely believe the world would be a better place.”

MATCHA FACTS                                  

Matcha is a type of green tea. Matcha comes from the same plant as all tea, Camelia Sinesis, but the way it is cultivated and processed is what makes matcha special. Real matcha comes from Japan and is made from the finest shade-grown leaves stone-ground to a fine powder.

Translated from Japanese, matcha means “powdered tea”. With regular green tea, which is infused in hot water, 85-90% of the nutrients are discarded with the leaves. However, with matcha, you’re drinking the entire leaf so your body benefits from all the soluble and non-soluble elements of the tea first hand.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES

Colin Jackson

My favourite way to drink OMG matcha is as a tea. I don’t do anything fancy with it – just matcha and hot water beautifully smooth into a paste. Bish bash bosh…down it goes! My matcha time is at 11am. I start my day with a coffee, then when 11 o’clock rolls around, I’m ready for my matcha. I’d love to share a matcha with Oprah, as we’d have a laugh, a natter and a therapy session all in one go!

Jamie Baulch

I blend my matcha with almond milk and Manuka honey. It creates a smooth, silky taste, it’s a real treat. I enjoy a daily matcha, usually in the afternoon when I’m feeling a bit tired.

About Katherine Swift and OMGTea

Katherine Swift is the CEO and founder of Brighton-based OMGTea which sells online and in stores including Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Holland & Barrett.

In 2022, OMGTea’s AAA+ Organic Matcha was awarded the highly coveted 3-Star Great Taste Award.

In late 2023, the business gained investment from Aiya, the first time the global Japanese tea company has backed a European brand in its 136 year history.

Swift is a matcha industry expert and has spent much of the past 14 years researching matcha and its cultivation, as well as the Japanese tea ceremony. She featured on Dragon’s Den in 2018 and on BBC Food: Truth or Scare as a green tea expert in 2019.