tart cherry and Reduced Muscle Soreness

Research synthesisVery low evidenceSmall effect4 studies · 0 beneficial · 4 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 4 studies, none reported beneficial effects of tart cherry on reduced muscle soreness; all 4 found neutral effects with predominantly small effect sizes. The evidence is limited to athlete and adult populations, with inconsistent dosing (most commonly studied as juice at ~300 mL/day for 7 days) and no statistically significant findings.

Studied populations: athletes, adults

Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 4 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. Many of the included studies did not reach statistical significance — effect may be smaller than the predominant direction suggests. Two of the four studies are reviews, limiting the weight of direct experimental data.

Generated Jul 10, 2026

Doses used in studies

mL/day: 300 (median 300, IQR 300–300) — 1 study

Time to effect

Median: 7 days · IQR 7 days–7 days · Range 7 days–7 days — Reported in 1 of 4 studies

4 of 4 papersPopulation:

Effect of Polyphenol Supplementation on Post-Exercise Recovery in Adult Male Soccer Players: A Systematic Review.
- 2026-05-21
- Systematic Review
- Nutrients 18(10)
- - Verónica Silva Díaz
  - Antonio Castillo-Paredes
  - Alexander Javier Iman Torres
  - Anthony Enrique Alves Vargas
  - Eduardo Guzmán-Muñoz
  - Jose Jairo Narrea Vargas
- PubMed: 42197097
- DOI: 10.3390/nu18101638
2 Insights on
- Reduced Muscle Soreness
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Athletes
beneficial trends for perceptual outcomes, particularly reduced muscle soreness and improved subjective well-being, were mainly observed in studies using tart cherry juice, beetroot juice, and curcumin.
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Tart Cherry Juice: No Effect on Muscle Function Loss or Muscle Soreness in Professional Soccer Players After a Match.
- 2020-02-01
- RCT
- International journal of sports physiology and performance 15(2)
- - Will Abbott
  - Callum Brashill
  - Adam Brett
  - Tom Clifford
- PubMed: 31188696
- DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2019-0221
7 Insights on
- Reduced Muscle Soreness
- High evidence
- Athletes
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
Significant
No
Dose
2 × 30 mL servings before and after a 90-minute match and 12 and 36 hours after the match
The effect of tart cherry juice compared to a sports drink on cycling exercise performance, substrate metabolism, and recovery.
- 2024-08-14
- RCT
- PloS one 19(8)
- - Ruirui Gao
  - Nicole Rapin
  - Justin W Andrushko
  - Jonathan P Farthing
  - Julianne Gordon
  - Philip D Chilibeck
- PubMed: 39141644
- DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307263
11 Insights on
- Reduced Muscle Soreness
- High evidence
- Adults
There were no differences for ... any other measures between drink conditions.
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Dose
300 mL/day for 4 days before and 2 days after exercise; on exercise day 1 g/kg carbohydrate
"Precovery" versus recovery: Understanding the role of cherry juice in exercise recovery.
- 2022-02-14
- Review
- Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports 32(6)
- - Malachy P McHugh
- PubMed: 35119142
- DOI: 10.1111/sms.14141
3 Insights on
- Reduced Muscle Soreness
- Low evidence
Tart cherry powder did not enhance any metric of recovery on the days after exercise.
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Dose
variable (see studies)

tart cherry and Reduced Muscle Soreness

Effect of Polyphenol Supplementation on Post-Exercise Recovery in Adult Male Soccer Players: A Systematic Review.

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

The effect of tart cherry juice compared to a sports drink on cycling exercise performance, substrate metabolism, and recovery.

"Precovery" versus recovery: Understanding the role of cherry juice in exercise recovery.