Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Food Components and Health Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #272090

Title: The effects of catechin rich teas and caffeine on energy expenditure and fat oxidation: a meta-analysis

Author
item HURSEL, R - Maastricht University
item VIECHBAUER, W - Maastricht University
item DULLOO, A - Neuchatel University - Switzerland
item TREMBLAY, A - Laval University
item TAPPY, L - Lausanne University Hospital
item Rumpler, William
item WESTERP-PLANTENGA, M - Maastricht University

Submitted to: Obesity Reviews
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/8/2010
Publication Date: 5/2/2011
Citation: Hursel, R., Viechbauer, W., Dulloo, A.G., Tremblay, A., Tappy, L., Rumpler, W.V., Westerterp-Plantenga 2011. The effects of catechin rich teas and caffeine on energy expenditure and fat oxidation: a meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews. 12:e573-e581.

Interpretive Summary: The present study was to conduct an analysis of the available short-term studies that have examined the effects of catechin-caffeine mixtures and caffeine-only supplementation on 24 h energy expenditure and fat oxidation, in order to establish whether catechin-caffeine mixtures and caffeine-only supplementation contribute to thermogenesis. Possible moderators, namely the body mass index (BMI) of the subjects and the catechin/caffeine dosage, are included in the meta-analysis, to investigate whether they have any impact on overall energy expenditure and fat oxidation and the effects of caffeine-only or catechin-caffeine mixtures. The results suggest that compared with placebo, daily fat-oxidation was only significantly increased after ingestion of catechin-caffeine mixtures.

Technical Abstract: Different outcomes of the effect of catechin-caffeine mixtures and caffeine-only supplementation on energy expenditure and fat oxidation have been reported in short-term studies. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to elucidate whether catechin-caffeine mixtures and caffeine-only supplementation indeed increase thermogenesis and fat oxidation. First, English-language studies measuring daily energy expenditure and fat oxidation by means of respiration chambers after catechin-caffeine mixtures and caffeine-only supplementation were identified through PubMed. Six articles encompassing a total of 18 different conditions fitted the inclusion criteria. Second, results were aggregated using random/mixed-effects models and expressed in terms of the mean difference in 24 h energy expenditure and fat oxidation between the treatment and placebo conditions. Finally, the influence of moderators such as BMI and dosage on the results was examined as well. The catechin-caffeine mixtures and caffeine-only supplementation increased energy expenditure significantly over24 h (428.0 kJ (4.7%); P < 0.001 and 429.1 kJ (4.8%); P < 0.001, respectively). However, 24 h fat oxidation was only increased by catechin-caffeine mixtures (12.2 g (16.0%); P < 0.02 and 9.5 g (12.4%); P = 0.11, respectively). A doseresponse effect on 24 h energy expenditure and fat oxidation occurred with a mean increase of 0.53 kJ mg-1 (P < 0.01) and 0.02 g mg-1 (P < 0.05) for catechin-caffeine mixtures and 0.44 kJ mg-1 (P < 0.001) and 0.01 g mg-1 (P < 0.05) for caffeine-only. In conclusion, catechin-caffeine mixtures or a caffeine-only supplementation stimulates daily energy expenditure dosedependently by 0.4–0.5 kJ mg-1 administered. Compared with placebo, daily fat-oxidation was only significantly increased after catechin-caffeine mixtures ingestion.