Efficacy of tart cherry juice in reducing muscle pain during running: a randomized controlled trial

The design was a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial. Fifty-four healthy runners (36 male, 18 female; 35.8 ± 9.6 yrs) ran an average of 26.3 ± 2.5 km over a 24 hour period. Participants ingested 355 mL bottles of tart cherry juice or placebo cherry drink twice daily for 7 days prior to the event and on the day of the race. Participants assessed level of pain on a standard 100 mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline, before the race, and after the race.While both groups reported increased pain after the race, the cherry juice group reported a significantly smaller increase in pain (12 ± 18 mm) compared to the placebo group (37 ± 20 mm) (p < .001). Participants in the cherry juice group were more willing to use the drink in the future (p < 0.001) and reported higher satisfaction with the pain reduction they attributed to the drink (p < 0.001).Ingesting tart cherry juice for 7 days prior to and during a strenuous running event can minimize post-run muscle pain.Long distance running is known to cause acute muscle damage resulting in acute inflammation [1] and decreased force production [2] that can last up to 1 week post-exercise [3]. One proposed mechanism for this acute response to distance running is that extensive myofibril disruption triggers a local inflammatory response, exacerbating muscle damage [4-9]. Leukotrienes then increase vascular permeability, attracting neutrophils to the injury site, resulting in free radical production [10]. Among endurance athletes, NSAIDs are used during competition to prevent or reduce pain during a race [11]. There are, however, known adverse effects associated with the use of traditional oral NSAIDs [12], including gastrointestinal, renal, and cardiovascular adverse events. Tart cherries are considered a good source of phenolic compounds with high levels of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity [13,14]. Considering the natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity of tart cherries, it is plausible that