Sour Cherry Juice as a Post-Workout Drink

October 8, 2026, 11:27 am | Read time: 5 minutes

Fitness and nutrition trends are constantly emerging. These have been further fueled by the advent of social media and influencers. Recently, tart cherry juice has been touted as the new post-workout drink. But does it really work? A new meta-study with athletes has investigated this—with surprising findings.

After a tough workout, the body needs time to recover. Intense sessions cause microscopic damage to muscle fibers, leading to strength loss and inflammation. In addition to protein shakes, more and more athletes are turning to tart cherry juice to speed up muscle recovery. But does the juice really help with strength recovery?

What Exactly Did the Researchers Investigate?

Researchers from several countries, including Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Sweden, and France, conducted an international study to determine whether tart cherry juice and related tart cherry products, when taken regularly, can improve recovery after intense training with exercise-induced muscle damage in healthy, trained adults and athletes.¹

Special attention was given to the restoration of muscle strength, alleviation of muscle soreness (DOMS), and the development of inflammation and muscle damage markers in the blood. The study examined both full-body exercises, such as running and team sports, and exercises targeting specific muscle groups.

To find out, the scientists selected various individual studies on the topic published between 2006 and 2022. Eligible studies included randomized and non-randomized trials with control or placebo conditions, as well as parallel-group and crossover designs. In the end, 19 studies with a total of 385 participants were selected for the systematic meta-analysis. The smallest study had only seven participants, while the largest had 54. Thirteen of the studies were male-only, five included mixed genders, and only one was female-only.

It’s important to note: Although the study refers to tart cherry juice, athletes consumed different products: Seven studies used tart cherry concentrate, five used juice, four used juice blends, two used powder, and one used a tart cherry drink. In most cases, participants consumed one to two servings daily, such as about 30 ml of concentrate or 236 to 355 ml of juice twice a day. Crucial for the effect: In most studies, consumption began four to seven days before the intense exercise (as so-called pre-loading) and continued for two to four days afterward. However, there were also shorter protocol intervals.

These Metrics Were Evaluated

From the various studies, the researchers used and evaluated the following metrics:

Muscle strength: Maximum voluntary contraction (MVC, usually measured isometrically)
Explosive performance: e.g., jump height in the countermovement jump (a jump with a prior downward movement)
Subjective complaints: DOMS or perceived muscle soreness
Muscle damage markers: Creatine kinase, abbreviated CK
Inflammation markers: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)
Mobility: Range of motion (ROM)

Measurements were usually taken before the exercise, immediately afterward, and 24 to 96 hours later. However, since not every study recorded every value at each time point, the data volume varied depending on the metric.

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What the Data Analysis of the Study Revealed

The data analysis showed that tart cherry juice (when taken over several days) indeed has some positive properties for recovery. The most significant benefit was seen in the restoration of maximum muscle strength. The inflammation marker CRP also showed measurably lower values after training. However, for explosive performance, there was only a small advantage after 48 hours, which is hardly noticeable in everyday sports. Overall, tart cherry juice is not suitable for preventing or alleviating DOMS, as there was no statistically significant difference between consumption and non-consumption regarding subjective complaints.

And these are the detailed results:

For maximum muscle strength, values recovered significantly faster immediately after exercise and after 24, 48, and 72 hours. (The measurements after 96 hours showed a positive trend, but due to high uncertainties and a data base of only two studies, they were not included in the comparative meta-analysis by the study authors). This was also where the most significant positive effect of tart cherry products was observed, although there were large differences between the studies.
Explosive performance (jump height): There was only a slight positive effect after 48 hours (the advantage over the placebo group averaged 1.6 percent). No difference was observed immediately after training or after 24 hours. This small increase is below the threshold of what athletes actually feel in practice (the so-called relevance threshold of 3.5 percent).
A reliable reduction in DOMS could not be demonstrated.
However, CRP levels were significantly lower immediately and 24 and 48 hours after training. This indicates a positive anti-inflammatory effect.
Other inflammation markers measured in the blood, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), as well as muscle damage markers (creatine kinase, CK), showed no significant changes with tart cherry juice consumption.

Conclusion and Limitations of the Study

The meta-study shows that taking tart cherry products for several days before and after training can support recovery. Maximum muscle strength recovered faster, and the inflammation marker CRP decreased more in the early recovery phase. However, DOMS could not be prevented.

However, the results should be viewed with caution. Many of the studies examined were small and varied significantly in training forms, products, and dosages. Accordingly, the results fluctuated greatly. The scientific evidence is also mostly rated as “very low to moderate.” Some positive effects also depended heavily on individual studies and were no longer clearly demonstrable after their exclusion.

Interestingly, professional athletes benefited less than recreational athletes–presumably because well-trained muscles already have stronger self-recovery mechanisms. The optimal dosage also remains unclear—partly because none of the studies adjusted the intake amount to the athletes’ individual body weight. Additionally, the active ingredient content varies greatly depending on the product form, and the participants’ other diets were not strictly controlled in all studies.

For everyday sports, this means: Those who want to regain muscle strength faster after intense exertion can try tart cherry juice—ideally starting four to seven days before the event. However, one should not expect miracles against DOMS. Moreover, compared to basic measures like adequate protein intake, tart cherry juice is a rather expensive supplement.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of FITBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@fitbook.de.