Juice could be cherry on top for runners

Apr 2 2010 by Nicola Juncar, The Journal

CHERRIES could help athletes starting their training for the Great North Run or even alleviate the symptoms of arthritis, according to research from a North East expert.

Drinking cherry juice before and after an endurance race could help improve the body’s recovery time, according to a researcher at Northumbria University.

Dr Glyn Howatson, exercise physiologist and laboratory director in the School of Psychology and Sports Sciences, examined the properties of Montmorency cherries for his study.

He found athletes who drank the juice recovered faster after marathon running than a placebo-controlled group.

In the investigation, 20 runners drank either a tart cherry blend juice or a placebo drink twice a day for five days before taking part in a marathon race and for two days afterwards.

The findings indicated the group who drank the cherry juice recovered their strength more rapidly than the control group over the 48-hour period following the marathon.

Inflammation was also reduced in the cherry juice group, as was “oxidative stress” – a potentially damaging response that can be caused by strenuous physical activity.

The study concluded cherry juice appears to aid recovery of muscle function.