You may have heard of tart cherry juice as the latest and greatest drink to improve your performance, your recovery, your sleep, and even your immunity. But is it really worth the hype ?
What Is Tart Cherry Juice?
Tart cherry juice is extracted from Montmorency cherries, also known as sour cherries. Tart cherry juice has many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenol compounds.
Better sleep
Cherry Juice contains melatonin which is a phytochemical that regulates sleep. Cherry juice is said to increase melatonin levels which will increase sleep duration and quality leading to enhanced recovery and increased energy levels.
Reduced inflammation
Cherry juice decreases blood markers of inflammation/oxidative stress. Tart cherries are rich in anthocyanin, a flavonoid that has similar anti-inflammatory properties to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.
Reduced muscle pain
Training and racing full tilt can leave you with sore and tired muscles. Tart Cherry supplementation may not be optimal during the adaptation stage of training. On the other hand, excessive inflammatory/oxidative stress after one day or stage races may delay return to peak form. In this case, where recovery is the priority, cherry juice may be beneficial.
Boosted immune system
Intensive training and racing decreases your immune system. It can be very frustrating to get sick before an important race. Tart cherry juice can reduce the chances of upper respiratory tract symptoms.
Dosage
30 ml of cherry juice in 200 ml of water.
The bottom line
The ideal time to consume cherry juice to optimize recovery is during the anabolic window, maximum 30 minutes after exercise to promote muscle recovery and ideally in the evening if you are looking to improve sleep.
Marine LENEHAN, Sports Nutritionist, Yoga Teacher & Massage Therapist