In a new study, researchers found just how effective Montmorency tart cherry juice products can be in helping people recover after exercise.
The research was conducted by a team at Northumbria University and St Mary’s University.
For more than 10 years, the team led ground-breaking research into the positive effects of drinking Montmorency cherry juice before and after strenuous sporting activity.
As a direct result of his team’s research studies, elite athletes have used Montmorency cherry products in the run-up to, and during, 2012, 2016, and 2021 Olympic Games to help athletes recover from intense bouts of training, strenuous competition, and injury.
Now, elite sportsmen and women worldwide, from Premiership footballers to NBA basketball players and Grand Tour cyclists, routinely incorporate Montmorency cherry products into their training regimes.
In the study, the team did a big meta-analysis to come up with an overall conclusion about the benefits of tart cherry juice.
The analysis of 14 previously published studies concluded that taking Montmorency tart cherry—in the form of juice, powder, or tablets—has a strong effect on improving the recovery of muscle strength and reducing reported muscle soreness after exercise.
The supplementation included one to two servings per day during the length of the study—ranging from seven to 16 days, including pre-exercise, day of, and post-exercise.
Nearly all the studies on cherries and exercise recovery or performance have been conducted with Montmorency tart cherries, the most common variety of tart cherries grown in the United States.
They are available year-round in dried, frozen, canned, juice, and juice concentrate forms.
One author of the study is Professor Glyn Howatson.
The study is published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.