Is Mate Tea the secret weapon of successful football players?

Several studies showed yerba mate has lots of healthy properties, thanks to its proportion of antioxidants and nutrients. 

Perhaps that is why in countries such as Uruguay and Argentina, the ancient custom of having mate is practically as rooted as football – an activity which, by the way, appears to go very well with yerba mate. Footballers from South American – even World Cup winners – have learnt to value the virtues of a warm mate prior to training and competing.

A good mate can change the score

Mate has turned into the top ally for great footballers before and after a match. As well as being a key ritual, a talisman and an energy boost, they value its endless properties and benefits:

• Mate is a strong stimulant of the central nervous system and it enhances energy and brain activity, naturally.
• Having mate helps the body tap into all the advantages of carbohydrates, which improves physical resistance.
• Mate lowers muscle fatigue by avoiding the excessive production of lactic acid, caused by the intense physical exercise in demanding sports.
• Apart from supplying energy, the caffeine in mate also betters psychomotor function and avoids cell degeneration. 
• Yerba mate contains anti-inflammatory effects which favour muscle recovery and rehabilitation after physical activity.   
• It encourages cardiovascular health, too, which turns into an improved physical condition and higher performance on the pitch.
• Whether it is cold or hot, sweet or bitter, plain or mixed with other flavours, Mate is natural and even a much better option than the energy drinks available in the market.

Which players drink more mate?

Footballers from Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay take mate routinely and many of them even show this off on social media. But who takes more?  The renowned Leo Messi from Argentina, the Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez or the Frenchman Antoine Griezmann, who drinks mate daily in the morning, before training? It is hard to tell. It is a fact that Uruguayan football players carry with them twice as thermoses and mate gourds as Argentinians, though both enjoy drinking mate to release the tensions and challenges connected with such a high-performance sport.