Home
Sports Drink

The Benefits of Tart Cherry Juice for Sports Recovery 2024

The benefits of tart cherry juice for reducing muscle damage, soreness, and boosting recovery after exercise.
tart cherry juice

Have you ever finished an intense workout and felt like you got run over by a truck? Your muscles are sore, your body is exhausted, and the last thing you want to do is move. This awful feeling can last for days after exercising or competing in sports. But what if there was a natural drink that could help you bounce back faster and reduce that post-workout pain? That's where tart cherry juice comes in! 

Tart cherry juice is made from the bright red Montmorency cherries and contains powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds like anthocyanins. Research suggests drinking tart cherry juice can provide some sweet relief for hardworking muscles. Keep reading to learn more about how tart cherries can help you recover after exercise so you can get back in the game.

Tart Cherry Juice Helps Soothe Muscle Soreness

If you’ve ever lifted weights, gone for a long run, or played a sport, you know muscle soreness can make the day after a beast. It’s like your muscles are angrily yelling at you for pushing them too hard. But tart cherry juice can help tell those muscles to chill out. 

The antioxidants in tart cherry juice reduce inflammation and pain associated with muscle damage. Multiple studies on long distance runners found that drinking tart cherry juice for several days before and after a marathon led to significantly less muscle pain and soreness compared to runners who didn’t drink it. Who wouldn’t want to glide through a 26.2 mile run with fresh, pain-free legs?

Research also shows that drinking tart cherry juice around weight training workouts can reduce strength loss in muscles. After intense lifting sessions that create microtears in muscle fibers, drinking tart cherry juice helped minimize the loss of muscle function during recovery.

So if you want to keep leg day or race day from destroying you, consider sipping on some tart cherry juice! 

Tart Cherries Promote Muscle Recovery

Not only can tart cherry juice reduce exercise-induced muscle pain, but it also helps you actually recover faster. 

Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, tart cherry juice helps facilitate the muscle repair process after a workout. By reducing oxidative stress and damage, your muscles can bounce back quicker. Multiple studies demonstrate subjects who consumed tart cherry juice had decreased muscle pain and recovered muscle strength faster than those who didn’t.

Tart cherry juice may also support muscle protein synthesis after exercise. The nutrients in tart cherry juice appear to stimulate the rebuilding of muscle proteins, helping repair damaged muscle fibers from exercise. Faster repair means faster recovery!

So next time you challenging your muscles with exercise that causes microtears and inflammation, drink some tart cherry juice to promote healing. Your muscles will thank you!

Tart Cherries Can Enhance Exercise Performance  


Clearly, tart cherry juice promotes muscle recovery. But what does this mean for your future exercise performance? Well, reducing muscle damage and accelerating recovery with tart cherry juice can actually enhance your subsequent athletic performance.

In one study, long distance runners who drank tart cherry juice in the days leading up to and immediately following a marathon run reported less muscle pain during the race. Being able to maintain strength and resist fatigue allows you to perform at your best.

Evidence also suggests tart cherry juice boosts oxygen availability during exercise, enabling you to workout longer before fatigue sets in. By increasing endurance exercise capacity, tart cherry juice can give your performance a sweet boost!

Plus, with the power of faster muscle recovery, drinking tart cherry juice can help ensure you come back stronger for your next workout. When those muscles repair quicker, you’ll be ready to hit it hard again sooner. Tart cherries are performance enhancers courtesy of Mother Nature!

How Much Tart Cherry Juice Should You Drink?  

Alright, you’re convinced! Tart cherry juice sounds amazing for exercise recovery and performance. But how much should you drink to reap the benefits?

Most research on exercise recovery has used tart cherry juice containing at least 200-300mg of anthocyanins. This is the equivalent of about 2 cups or 16oz of tart cherry juice. 

Many studies administered 16oz of tart cherry juice once daily, while others split it into 8oz servings taken twice per day. Athletes tend to opt for a single serving post-workout. If you’re using a concentrated shot formula, the recommended dosage is typically around 1-2oz.

To reduce muscle damage and boost recovery, it seems beneficial to start drinking tart cherry juice a few days before an intense workout or competition. For example, marathon runners in studies began supplementing with it about 5 days prior to racing. 

Consistency is key - keep sipping that tart cherry juice daily to help your muscles heal, restore strength, and perform your best!

In Summary

Tart cherry juice provides a host of science-backed benefits for exercise recovery and performance:
  • Reduces muscle soreness and pain after workouts
  • Minimizes muscle damage from exercise 
  • Decreases post-workout strength loss
  • Speeds up muscle recovery between training sessions
  • Supports muscle protein rebuilding after microtears
  • Improves endurance exercise capacity 
  • Boosts subsequent athletic performance
The powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidants in tart cherry juice like anthocyanins contribute to these effects. By accelerating muscle recovery, tart cherry juice helps you train harder, excel during competitions, and conquer fitness goals.

Aim for at least 16oz or 200-300mg of anthocyanins from tart cherry juice daily. Consume it in the days leading up to and following intense workouts or races when muscle damage will be highest. With the amazing benefits of tart cherry juice, you’ll be recovering like a pro!

Now that you know the science behind how tart cherries can boost exercise recovery, it’s time to incorporate them into your own training. Here are some tips:
  • Drink 8-16oz of tart cherry juice in the morning and/or night. Many opt for a dose immediately after working out.
  • Look for 100% tart cherry juice or concentrate to get the most anthocyanins and benefits. 
  • Add some tart cherry juice to a post-workout smoothie for a nutrition-packed recovery drink.
  • Use tart cherry juice in overnight oats or chia pudding to fuel up before an early morning run or game. 
  • Mix your own sports drink with tart cherry juice, water, and electrolytes.
  • Don’t like the taste? Get your tart cherry dose in supplement form like capsules.
  • Pack tart cherry juice concentrate packets if you’ll be on the go before a competition.
With tart cherry juice as your recovery wingman, you’ll be ready to conquer any athletic challenge. Your muscles will thank you for the extra TLC! Remember recovery is just as important as your workouts, so don’t neglect it. Tart cherry juice provides a delicious, natural way to boost your body’s repair mechanisms.

Now get out there, push your limits, and have some tart cherry juice ready for after. Your muscles will be begging for mercy during the workout, but they’ll be singing a different tune come recovery time. Just be sure not to spill any juice on yourself for those awkward cherry-colored stains!