Guide
Matcha vs coffee.
The short version: coffee usually has more caffeine per cup. Matcha has less, contains L-theanine, is less acidic and tastes grassy rather than roasted. Which is better comes down to taste and how much caffeine you want.
Written by the people making HEFT, so treat it as informed, not neutral.
Caffeine
The NHS puts a cup of instant coffee at about 100mg of caffeine, and notes that filter and shop-bought coffee can contain more.1 Matcha's caffeine depends on how much powder you use and the grade. HEFT Matcha, if it happens, is planned at about 65mg a scoop, roughly half a HEFT Coffee.
L-theanine
Matcha naturally contains L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea leaves. You'll see plenty of claims online about what it does alongside caffeine. None of them is an authorised health claim in the UK, so we're not going to make one. What we can tell you is that it's in there.
Acidity
Coffee is fairly acidic, at around pH 4.5 to 5. Matcha sits closer to neutral, at around pH 5.5 to 7. For HEFT that matters for one practical reason: creatine is a little more stable in less acidic liquid.2
Taste
Coffee is roasted, bitter and familiar. Matcha is grassy, vegetal and slightly sweet. Neither is better. It's preference.
So which?
- Coffee, if you want more caffeine and love the taste.
- Matcha, if you want less caffeine or prefer the taste of tea.
- Both, on different days.
Where HEFT sits
HEFT Coffee launches first. HEFT Matcha, with the same six on a matcha base, is a maybe: if enough people vote for it, we'll make it.
Sources
- NHS, "Foods to avoid in pregnancy: caffeine". Back to text
- Jäger R, et al. Amino Acids. 2011;40(5):1369 to 1383. Back to text
General information, not medical or dietary advice. If you have a health condition or specific dietary needs, speak to a qualified professional.