SEATTLE—Drinking cherry juice could help ease the pain for people who run, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Conference in Seattle. The study showed people who drank tart cherry juice while training for a long-distance run reported significantly less pain after exercise than those who didn’t. In the study of 60 healthy adults aged 18 to 50 years, those who drank 10.5 oz. of cherry juice (CHERRish 100% Montmorency cherry juice) twice a day for seven days prior to and on the day of a long-distance relay had significantly less muscle pain following the race than those who drank another fruit juice beverage. On a scale from 0 to 10, the runners who drank cherry juice had a 2 point lower self-reported pain level at the completion of the race, a clinically significant difference.
The researchers suggest cherries’ post-exercise benefits are likely because of the fruit’s natural anti-inflammation power—attributed to antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins, which also give cherries their bright red color.
