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Tart Cherry Juice: No Effect on Muscle Function Loss or Muscle Soreness in Professional Soccer Players After a Match.

  • 2020-02-01
  • International journal of sports physiology and performance 15(2)
    • Will Abbott
    • Callum Brashill
    • Adam Brett
    • Tom Clifford

Study Design

Type
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Population
10 male professional soccer players from the reserve team of an English Premier League Club (age 19 [1] y, height 1.8 [0.6] m, body mass 77.3 [6.4] kg)
Methods
double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, consumed 2 × 30-mL servings of tart cherry juice or an isocaloric cherry-flavored control drink before and after a 90-minute match and 12 and 36 hours after the match
Blinding
Double-blind
Duration
12, 36, and 60 hours after each match

Purpose

To investigate the effects of tart cherry juice (TCJ) on recovery from a soccer match in professional players.

Methods

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 10 male professional soccer players from the reserve team of an English Premier League Club (age 19 [1] y, height 1.8 [0.6] m, body mass 77.3 [6.4] kg) consumed 2 × 30-mL servings of TCJ or an isocaloric cherry-flavored control drink (CON) before and after a 90-minute match and 12 and 36 hours after the match. Muscle function (countermovement jump height and reactive strength index), subjective well-being, and subjective muscle soreness were measured before and 12, 36, and 60 hours after each match.

Results

Countermovement jump height was similarly reduced in the days after the match after TCJ and CON supplementation, with the greatest loss occurring at 12-hour postmatch (-5.9% [3.1%] vs -5.4% [2.9%], of baseline values, respectively; P = .966; ηp2=.010). Decrements in reactive strength index were also greatest at 12-hour postmatch (TCJ -9.4% [8.4%] vs CON -13.9% [4.8%], of baseline values), but no group differences were observed at any time point (P = .097; ηp2=.205). Muscle soreness increased 12- to 60-hour postmatch in both groups, peaking at 12-hour postmatch (TCJ 122 [27] mm vs CON 119 [22] mm), but no group differences were observed (P = .808; ηp2=.024). No interaction effects were observed for subjective well-being (P = .874; ηp2=.025).

Conclusions

TCJ did not hasten recovery after a soccer match in professional players. These findings bring into question the use of TCJ as a recovery aid in professional soccer players.

Research Insights

  • tart cherry→Improved Countermovement Jump Height

    Countermovement jump height was similarly reduced in the days after the match after TCJ and CON supplementation, with the greatest loss occurring at 12-hour postmatch (-5.9% [3.1%] vs -5.4% [2.9%], of baseline values, respectively; P = .966; ηp2=.010).

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    2 × 30 mL servings before and after a 90-minute match and 12 and 36 hours after the match
  • tart cherry→Improved Reactive Strength Index

    Decrements in reactive strength index were also greatest at 12-hour postmatch (TCJ -9.4% [8.4%] vs CON -13.9% [4.8%], of baseline values), but no group differences were observed at any time point (P = .097; ηp2=.205).

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    2 × 30 mL servings before and after a 90-minute match and 12 and 36 hours after the match
  • tart cherry→Improved Subjective Well-being

    No interaction effects were observed for subjective well-being (P = .874; ηp2=.025).

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    2 × 30 mL servings before and after a 90-minute match and 12 and 36 hours after the match
  • tart cherry→Increased Muscle Soreness

    Muscle soreness increased 12- to 60-hour postmatch in both groups, peaking at 12-hour postmatch (TCJ 122 [27] mm vs CON 119 [22] mm), but no group differences were observed (P = .808; ηp2=.024).

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    2 × 30-mL servings
  • tart cherry→Reduced Countermovement Jump Height

    Countermovement jump height was similarly reduced in the days after the match after TCJ and CON supplementation, with the greatest loss occurring at 12-hour postmatch (-5.9% [3.1%] vs -5.4% [2.9%], of baseline values, respectively; P = .966; ηp2=.010).

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    2 × 30-mL servings
  • tart cherry→Reduced Muscle Soreness

    Muscle soreness increased 12- to 60-hour postmatch in both groups, peaking at 12-hour postmatch (TCJ 122 [27] mm vs CON 119 [22] mm), but no group differences were observed (P = .808; ηp2=.024).

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    2 × 30 mL servings before and after a 90-minute match and 12 and 36 hours after the match
  • tart cherry→Reduced Reactive Strength Index

    Decrements in reactive strength index were also greatest at 12-hour postmatch (TCJ -9.4% [8.4%] vs CON -13.9% [4.8%], of baseline values), but no group differences were observed at any time point (P = .097; ηp2=.205).

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    2 × 30-mL servings
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