Cherry juice for relaxation?

From a sports nutrition perspective, sour cherry juice has some special properties that make it interesting for athletes:

Improved regeneration

Sour cherry juice can accelerate muscle recovery after intense exercise:

• It reduces inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress in the muscles
• Studies show a faster recovery of muscle strength after exercise
• Muscle soreness is less severe and subsides more quickly

anti-inflammatory effect

The antioxidants contained, especially anthocyanins, have a strong anti-inflammatory effect:

• They inhibit the enzymes COX-1 and COX-2 similar to painkillers
• Inflammatory markers such as IL-6 and CRP are reduced after exercise

Potential performance improvement

Some studies suggest a possible performance improvement:

• Less loss of strength during endurance exercise
• Improved movement efficiency after 24 hours
• A study showed 13% faster half marathon times

Practical Application

For maximum benefit, it is recommended:

• Drink about 300 ml of sour cherry juice twice a day
• 4 days before to 2 days after exercise

Overall, sour cherry juice can support recovery and possibly improve performance, especially in competitions or tournaments lasting several days. However, further studies are needed for a final assessment .

Sources:

Asker Jeukendrup: How to use tart cherry juice (LINK)