Does Drinking Cherry Juice After Exercise Help?

Regular exercise can reward you with health benefits, including increased cardiovascular fitness, stronger bones and even elevated moods. Overdoing it with a particularly strenuous workout, however, can cause delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. Some athletes drink cherry juice -- rich in antioxidants and packed with assorted vitamins and minerals -- post-exercise to ease DOMS and promote speedy muscle repair. If you try cherry juice for DOMS, make it tart; sour cherry juice contains more beneficial compounds than juice made from its sweeter cousins. Check with your doctor before using cherry juice.

Features

The sour cherry tree -- scientifically known as Prunus cerasus and commonly called tart cherry, red cherry, pie cherry and morello cherry -- features pink blossoms in the spring and is widely grown in the United States both for its ornamental value and its fruit. There are over 270 varieties of tart cherry. Popular cultivars include Montmorency and Richmond. Tart cherries are used to make cherry syrup, included in cough syrups and other oral medications to disguise unpleasant taste. Cherries and cherry juice have a long history of herbal use for inflammation and joint pain. The Cherokee Indians employed them as a remedy for arthritis and gout.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects

A glass of tart cherry juice may help reduce symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness, thanks to its beneficial phytonutrients. Drugs.com credits cherries with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, noting that tart cherry compounds have been shown to be 10 times more active than aspirin, without the side effects. The website adds that tart cherries' high levels of anthocyanins -- flavonoid pigment compounds that give the fruit their bright red color -- can potentially inhibit tumor growth, promote cardiovascular health and even inhibit the aging process. King Orchards says tart cherry juice scored the highest of all tested fruits and vegetables in ORAC testing, a method of measuring antioxidant capability. Tart cherry juice had roughly five times the antioxidant powers of blueberries and blackberries, its closest competitors.

Vitamins and Minerals

The vitamin A in a glass of tart cherry juice also contributes to its effectiveness as a post-workout drink. The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database lists a cup of pitted sour cherries as containing 1,989 IU of vitamin A, along with 1,194 mcg of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is of particular importance to bodybuilders and other athletes because it aids the repair and growth of body tissues while promoting the development of strong bones; strenuous physical activity can deplete your stores of this vital nutrient. Cherry juice is also rich in potassium, which is vital to maintaining stable blood pressure. King Orchards reports that 8 oz. of Montmorency tart cherry juice contains 202 mg of this essential mineral.

Research

In a study funded by the Cherry Marketing Institute and presented at the 2010 Experimental Biology annual meeting by a team of researchers from the University of Michigan, tart cherries were found to reduce risk factors for heart disease, including inflammation, weight, fat mass and cholesterol levels. In a clinical study published in 1999 in the "Journal of Natural Products," researchers noted the harmful activities of free radicals, including damage to enzymes and DNA as well as cell death, and determined to test tart cherry's anecdotal reputation as a powerful antioxidant. The team concluded that extracts from tart cherries possessed strong antioxidant activity, with two previously undiscovered antioxidants -- described as caffeic acid analogues -- comparable in strength to the commercial antioxidant BHT, or butylated hydroxytoluene.