A regular habit of drinking tart cherry juice may help athletes sidestep muscle damage that occurs after working muscles to the max. And a quicker recovery, say researchers, could affect your next workout or competition.
Why cherries? Earlier research suggests that antioxidants called anthocyanins, the chemicals that give cherries their bright red color, can reduce inflammation linked to muscle soreness. New findings show that Michigan’s Montmorency cherries can help undo the damaging effects of intensive exercise, according to a medical study from London.
In the UK study, ten well-trained men drank one ounce of CherryActive cherry juice concentrate twice daily for one week before and two days after a tough series of single-leg knee extension exercises.
“Montmorency cherry juice consumption improved the recovery of isometric muscle strength after intensive exercise perhaps due to attenuation of the oxidative damage induced by the damaging exercise,” reported Dr. Joanna Bowtell and colleagues in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
CherryActive cherry juice, made from 100% Montmorency cherries and marketed overseas, is available online. US distributors of Montmorency cherry products include King Orchards and Brown Wood Acres.
Can cherry juice dodge aches and pains after an occasional jog or trip to gym? Test it for yourself, and post your story here.
2 Comments
I love drinking the cherry juice for arthritis, it works great, but it gives me terrible gas. I talked with my doctor and she told me it was because of the sorbitol in the cherries. She recommended switching over to the cherry capsules from Fruit Advantage and they work great. Best of all no more gas. Here is a link if you are interested http://www.fruitadvantage.com
I have heard that cheeries are good for gout too. I have fibromyalgia, and I might just have to try some of this juice and see what happens. Thanks for this article.