The Best Tart Cherry Juice for Athletes
As endurance athletes, we are constantly looking for ways to recover faster, train more consistently and perform our best.
You may have heard about tart cherry juice and are wondering what the best tart cherry juice for athletes is. This option is worth exploring, as it has gained attention for its potential recovery benefits.
Today, we’re diving into what the research says, the best tart cherry juice for athletes, its benefits, the different forms available and how and when to use it!
Tart Cherry Juice Benefits
1. Reduces Muscle Soreness
Intense workouts, long workouts and races can often result in soreness, which can affect your readiness for your next workout and your recovery post-race. Research shows that tart cherry juice can help.
In a study on The Oregon Hood to Coast Relay race, the runners who drank tart cherry juice twice daily for 7 days before the race and on race day reported less pain after the race compared to those who didn’t drink tart cherry juice.
2. Supports Performance & Recovery
Training breaks your body down. Recovery is where your body adapts and gets stronger. Tart cherry juice may support that process and your performance in several ways.
Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects
Exercise causes short-term inflammation that’s necessary for exercise recovery but it’s the chronic inflammation can impair recovery and performance.
Tart cherries are rich in anthocyanins which are antioxidants that improve immune health and can reduce oxidative stress, protecting muscles from damage. A growing body of research supports tart cherry juice’s role in reducing inflammation, boosting recovery and supporting endurance performance.
Tart cherry juice may give you an edge as an endurance athlete and may be especially helpful for injury-prone athletes or masters runners who need extra recovery support.
Blood Flow and Oxygen Delivery
Tart cherry juice boosts nitric oxide production, which promotes vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels). This improves blood flow and improves oxygen and nutrient delivery to your working muscles. It can also help clear exercise-induced waste products.
The results? Allows your muscles to keep functioning during hard or long efforts and enhanced recovery afterwards.
Performance Fueling
Beyond antioxidants, tart cherry juice also provides carbohydrates, key for endurance athletes. Drinking it with a pre-workout snack or meal can support energy and your workout.
3. Improves Sleep Quality
Sleep is the #1 recovery tool for endurance athletes. Better sleep= better recovery= better training.
Tart cherry juice is actually a natural source of melatonin which supports sleep quality and duration. Quality sleep means better muscle repair, recovery and performance. So a small glass of tart cherry juice in the evening may be a smart move!
Forms of Tart Cherries
There are 3 common forms of tart cherries that we see available on the market:
- Juice or concentrate
- Capsules or chews
- Powders
The juice or concentrate can be found right at the grocery store and is probably your cheapest option.
How and When to Use Tart Cherry Juice
Dosage and Timing
Most studies use 8-12 oz of tart cherry juice twice daily, starting 4-7 days before a sports event (like a race or game), continuing on race day and for 2-4 days afterward.
Tart cherry juice is most beneficial during a heavy training cycle, during race week and after races when recovery is the priority.
There is a question whether tart cherry juice negatively impacts long-term training adaptations so it may not be best to use it all year-round.
When to Drink It
- In the morning before a workout: A great time to take your first dose. You’ll get antioxidants early in the day, plus carbohydrates to support energy and performance during your workout
- In the evening before bed: Supports better sleep thanks to its melatonin content
Try making a tart cherry juice mocktail in the evening (like you see in the picture above) by mixing 8-12 oz of tart cherry juice with seltzer and a lime wedge (if you want some extra flavor). It’s a fun, refreshing way to sneak in your recovery drink while winding down for the night.
The Best Tart Cherry Juice for Athletes
I recommend tart cherry juice and products in their simplest form, those made solely from tart cherry juice or concentrate, without a lot of extra ingredients.
- Lakewood Pressed Juice, Organic, Pure Tart Cherry
- Trader Joe’s 100% Red Tart Cherry Juice
- CheriBundi Tart Cherry Juice and Pure Concentrate packets
Things to Consider Before You Try It
Before adding tart cherry juice into your routine, it’s important to consider these things first.
Tart Cherry Juice Will Not Fix Underfueling
If you’re suffering the consequences of underfueling, skipping meals, not eating enough carbohydrates and not fueling well before, during and after your workouts and races, tart cherry juice isn’t going to magically fix it.
Meeting your overall calorie, macronutrient and micronutrient needs and nutrient timing comes first as it’s the true foundation for your performance, energy, exercise-recovery and health.
Sugar and Calorie Content
Honestly, if you’re having 1-2 cups of tart cherry juice per day and are focusing on nutrient-dense foods at meals and snacks, you don’t need to sweat the sugar or calorie content.
Medication Interactions
Tart cherries can interact with some medications like blood pressure medications and blood thinners. If you’re on medications and you’re unaware of potential interactions, first consult with your pharmacist.
Tart Cherry Juice Supplement Considerations
Nutrition supplements aren’t regulated by the government. To choose a safer supplement, choose 3rd party tested like NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Choice/Sport.
Final Notes
Tart cherry juice can support athletes by promoting recovery, reducing muscle soreness and promoting better sleep. When incorporating strategically, whether during heavy training or leading up to a race, it may help you train smarter and perform at your best.
Pay attention to form, timing and dosage and choose third-party tested products when using supplements. With intentional use, tart cherry juice can be a simple, effective addition to your recovery routine!
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Hi, I’m Emily!
I’m a Registered Dietitian, Certified Run & Strength Coach and a runner, just like you! I help runners eat better, feel better, train smarter & go the distance!