First of all, I'm sorry but I can't think of a cute rhyme for tart cherry juice like I did for beets. If you think of one, please feel free to add it to the comments.
Choose your supplement $ wisely. IMHO Some are worth it and some are not. I think tart cherries are on the "worth it" list.
Tart cherries are a nutritional gold mine. They contain various antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents including many vitamins and minerals. Other nutrients within tart cherries include fiber, protein, ("You're vegan? Where do you get your protein?") omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, folate, choline, quercetin, cyanidin, and anthocyanin.(1)
A better-known benefit of tart cherry juice is its ability to fight inflammation. In a 2006 study, researchers confirmed that the anthocyanin in tart cherries can relieve the inflammation due to arthritis. In a 2012 study, researchers found that drinking tart cherry juice twice daily for three weeks reduced pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Blood tests also showed significantly less inflammation. (1)
Now we get to the info that is meaningful to runners like you and me: how tart cherry juice helps long distance runners. A 2010 study found that drinking tart cherry juice for seven days before and during a strenuous running event minimized muscle pain after the run. Another study in 2006 found that tart cherry juice is effective in decreasing symptoms related to muscle damage from exercise. For example, the strength loss after drinking cherry juice was only 4% compared to 22% for the placebo.
Tart cherry juice is also very helpful in the recovery after a marathon, according to the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports in 2010. The juice provided viable recovery after a marathon by increasing total antioxidant capacity and decreasing inflammation, which in turn helps the muscles recover. Tart cherry juice also contains potassium, which helps with hydration and muscle recovery.
Now, as I've said before, SUM NON MEDICUS (I AM NOT A DOCTOR.) However, my experience with tart cherry juice leads me to believe in the above cited research. I did my own recent experiment. The week before my marathon on 4/23/27 I started the cherry juice regimen. On marathon day, I ran strong and never "hit the wall". I even had a finishing kick! (Let me tell you that this was not the case with my first 2 marathons!) My quads were a little weak immediately after the race but after some food and a good night's sleep, there was little residual soreness. I consider this a big plus.
For comparison, I stopped drinking the tart cherry juice leading up to a half marathon 3 weeks later. I was more sore after this HM than I was after the full marathon!
Be careful though - the tart cherry juice I found at the local grocery store was watered down with Apple juice. That stuff did not seem to work. I finally bought some Country Spoon Montmorency Red Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0032JKWGI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_n6zBuF6U6XMZh). I mixed 1oz of this with 5 oz water. This stuff works! If you're not a fan of tartness, just use more water.
Footnotes
Here's an interesting twist courtesy of my new Year of Good Beer 2018 Calendar (Workman publishing Co.):
ReplyDeleteSKA BREWING ANNIVERSARY MONUMENTALE
Ska Brewing Company, Durango, CO
Brewed as a special blend of three beers, this garnet-red, 7.5% ABV, wood-aged TART CHERRY beer is a wild treat. The base beer is aged in Peach Street Distillery bourbon barrels, then "vintages" of these are selected, blended together, and aged with TART CHERRIES. This results in aromatics of fresh CHERRY, vanilla, and oak, with a hint of bourbon; but on the palate, there is a burst of TARTNESS followed by a round, almost buttery sweetness that fades to a dry, lingering oak-and-CHERRY finish. It almost seems like three unique, consecutive beers, each offering its own distinct, delicious aspect. One of the brewery's best efforts, ever.
Sadly, according to Beer Advocate:
Delete"This beer is retired; no longer brewed."