A New Study Reveals What Tart Cherry Actually Does To Your Muscles
Tart cherry has long been a favorite among athletes and active adults looking to support exercise recovery. Rich in anthocyanins and other polyphenols, this deeply hued fruit has been studied for its ability to help manage oxidative stress and post-workout soreness.
Now, a new study1 recently evaluated its role in curbing muscle damage. Here's what you need to know.
About the study
The goal of this study was to examine how tart cherry supplementation influences the biological processes that take place within skeletal muscle following exercise-induced damage. Rather than focusing solely on outcomes like soreness or performance, the researchers wanted to understand what was happening at the cellular level.
To do this, they recruited 34 healthy, recreationally active young men and assigned them to receive either a placebo, a low-dose tart cherry concentrate, or a high-dose tart cherry. Participants consumed their assigned supplement for seven days before completing a muscle-damaging workout and continued supplementation during the short recovery period that followed, for a total intervention length of 10 days.
They then completed a muscle-damaging exercise protocol, after which researchers assessed muscle function, collected blood samples, and performed muscle biopsies to analyze changes occurring directly within muscle tissue. This allowed the team to investigate whether tart cherry supplementation affects the proteins and cellular pathways involved in muscle repair, inflammation, and adaptation after exercise.
Tart cherry altered key pathways involved in muscle remodeling
The most notable finding was that tart cherry supplementation significantly changed the muscle's protein profile following exercise-induced damage.
Specifically, researchers observed changes in proteins involved in:
- Muscle structure
- Muscle contraction
- Cellular repair processes
- Immune-cell activity within muscle tissue
These findings indicate that tart cherry polyphenols may help shape the way muscles respond to the stress of exercise.
Researchers also found evidence of altered macrophage activity. Macrophages are immune cells that play an important role in clearing damaged tissue and supporting the muscle repair process after exercise.
Overall, these changes point to a broader effect on muscle remodeling and adaptation, two processes that help the body become stronger and more resilient following training.
Your gut microbiome may also play a role
Researchers also observed significant increases in hippuric acid, a compound produced when gut microbes break down polyphenols found in tart cherries and other plant foods.
Interestingly, participants with higher levels of hippuric acid tended to maintain better muscle function following exercise-induced damage. While the study wasn't designed to prove that hippuric acid directly caused these effects, the finding suggests that some of tart cherry's benefits may stem from the way its polyphenols are metabolized by the gut microbiome.
What this means for recovery
This study adds to a growing body of research suggesting that tart cherry may support muscle health in ways that extend beyond traditional recovery markers. While the intervention lasted only 10 days and wasn't designed to evaluate long-term training adaptations, researchers observed meaningful changes in muscle biology, including pathways involved in repair, remodeling, and immune activity.
If you're interested in adding more tart cherry to your routine, research suggests drinking about 8 to 16 ounces of tart cherry juice daily (about 2 ounces of concentrated tart cherry juice diluted with water) may help support recovery and overall muscle health.
For a more targeted approach, try a tart cherry supplement—specifically one that uses the clinically studied Montmorency tart cherry extract called CherryPURE®. We love this powder that pairs it with magnesium, and yes it's better than a DIY sleep girl mocktail.
The takeaway
In this study, researchers found that tart altered proteins involved in muscle repair, remodeling, and immune activity following intense exercise. While more research is needed to understand the long-term implications, it adds to our understanding of the habits and routines that naturally support recovery. What more recovery support? Here these are the 3 foundational steps to recover faster from exercise, according to experts.
