Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially local, seasonal ones, has always been promoted as one of the priorities in a healthy diet. As it turns out, some fruits also have a strong effect on athletic conditioning. A great example is tart cherries(tart cherries), which, according to numerous studies , speed up muscle recovery after a workout, plus they may also improve sleep quality. Not to throw words to the wind, let's do a little review of the scientific evidence regarding the effects of tart cherry extracts.
- Tart cherry speeds up muscle recovery after exercise
- The most important thing about cherry is anthocyanins
- Tart cherry can help you sleep better
- When is it a good idea to use tart cherry extract and when not?
Tart cherry speeds up muscle recovery after exercise
Tart cherry juice is one of those gifts of nature that have gained a lot of recognition in the sports world. Moreover, this is justified by the results of scientific research. Polyphenols, which are a very wide group of substances that provide the fruit with protection against various harmful factors, are mainly responsible for their properties. In humans , polyphenols in generalization can reduce inflammation and muscle pain caused by damage to muscle fibers incurred during training. In this way, they enable an earlier return to normal muscle strength/strength.
Studies using tart cherry fruit concentrate in athletes have shown, among other things:
- increased performance in a half-marathon after a 7-day intake, accompanied by reduced inflammation and catabolism;
- increased strength recovery and reduced muscle soreness after intense exercise or endurance events that cause muscle damage.
The researchers conclude that tart cherry concentrates and juices are potentially beneficial when repetitive athletic performance is required over a single day or over multiple days.
One of the acknowledgements of tart cherries is their placement (along with polyphenolic tart cherries) in Category B in the classification of supplements prepared by the Australian Institute of Sport. Category B means that the supplements in question have efficacy support in scientific studies and deserve further research.
The most important thing about cherry is anthocyanins
Anthocyanins are a unique type of polyphenols. They have outstanding antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and are characterized by their intense, dark color. They are the ones that give characteristic colors to fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, elderberries, dark grapes or just cherries.
The content of anthocyanins varies not only from one fruit to another, but also from one specific variety to another. In studies on athletes, mainly the tart cherry/sour cherry(Prunus cerasus) is used. The health properties of cherries largely depend precisely on the presence of anthocyanins.
Studies show that anthocyanins can increase nitric oxide production, facilitating blood flow during exercise.
Tart cherry can help you sleep better
Tart cherry is one of the dietary sources of melatonin (as is, for example, kiwi). Its amounts are not large, but enough so that, together with other components of the cherry fruit, it can clearly affect the quality of sleep, as noted in clinical studies.
Let's take a look at an interesting study with good methodology. 20 participants (healthy adults) were given for 7 days either tart cherry juice concentrate or a placebo, which was an economical fruit juice that contained no melatonin or anthocyanins, and even the fruit itself had not very much in it. The cherry juice was dosed twice a day (in the morning and before bedtime) with 30 ml each. Each such serving was equivalent to 90-100 cherries and contained about 42.6 mcg of melatonin. From the results, we learn that supplementation with Montmorency tart cherry juice actually resulted in more melatonin excreted in urine, as well as increased sleep duration and improved sleep quality.
When is it a good idea to use tart cherry extract and when not?
There is great potential in tart cherries, but you need to know how to use them to achieve optimal benefits.
Use of tart cherries by athletes
Potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in sports can give benefits or losses, depending on the situation.
We know that an excess of antioxidants especially around training can slow down athletic progress. Muscles then admittedly recover faster, but do not have the ability to adapt properly to training conditions. A certain amount of free radicals is required for muscle adaptation. For this reason, supplementation with powerful antioxidants such as anthocyanins from cherries may not be the best idea during a period of increasing athletic performance in athletes.
It is different in a period where progress no longer interests us so much, and the most important thing is to achieve a good result. We are talking about the time of sports competitions. When we go to a competition, the most important thing for us is that during the competition the muscles recover quickly and maintain high performance, not whether a month after the competition they will be stronger. It is in such situations that tart cherries work perfectly, and it is best to start supplementation a minimum of a week before the competition. Check out the tart cherry supplement in capsules!
Tart cherry for people who do not engage in competitive sports
Of course, you do not have to be an active athlete to benefit from the wonderful properties of tart cherry. If reduced sports adaptation is not a problem for you, then an excellent choice would be to use a cherry extract supplement every day before bed. In this way, you can benefit from both improved sleep quality and the other benefits of cherries.
Flavonoids from the fruit in general have the ability to reduce the risk of upper respiratory tract infections. So it's a good idea to supplement with cherry concentrate during the fall and winter, when we tend to get sick more often.
In non-athletes, there are no major contraindications to using tart cherry extract. An aspect worth noting is the laxative potential of tart cherry fruit. If you know you have a sensitive gut, you should carefully incorporate supplementation and watch your body's reaction.
Sources:
⮜ Previous article
Is it worth eating carbohydrates at night?
Next article ⮞