How we rate
“Strong” = several concordant meta-analyses or systematic reviews. “Moderate” = one synthesis, or several controlled trials. “Limited” = early trials only. The rating is about the quality of the studies, not about how useful the supplement is.
Montmorency tart cherry
Montmorency cherry juice, the sour variety. Two areas where it holds up: post-workout recovery and sleep.
Benefits
- Reduces muscle soreness after a long-distance run: in 54 runners, the post-run increase in pain is significantly lower than with a placebo
- Speeds up isometric strength recovery after a marathon (20 runners), by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress
- In 27 runners and triathletes, half-marathon times were 13% faster on average, with fewer markers of muscle catabolism
- Makes you sleep longer: +84 minutes of sleep in adults over 50 with insomnia, and a measured increase in urinary melatonin in 20 volunteers
- Reduces insomnia severity in older individuals, particularly the time spent awake after falling asleep
Precautions
No adverse effects are reported in these trials. Also worth noting: results are not unanimous and sample sizes are small — ranging from 8 to 54 participants, with no meta-analysis to settle the matter. In 9 well-trained water polo players, 6 days of juice made no difference to performance or recovery. In 47 healthy adults, the concentrate changed nothing regarding arterial stiffness, C-reactive protein, blood pressure or cholesterol. And on knee osteoarthritis, pain and function improved, but no more than with a placebo.
Recommended dosage
Montmorency cherry juice, concentrate or powder; for muscle soreness, taken 7 days before the race and on the day itself.
How to take it
- For recovery: start before effort. In runners, the juice was taken for 7 days before the race and on the day itself; in marathoners, before and after the race.
- Juice, concentrate or powder: positive trials use all three forms, often from the Montmorency variety.
- It does not work every time: in 9 water polo players, 6 days of juice changed nothing regarding recovery or next-day performance.
- For sleep: trials are small (8 to 20 people), in adults and older individuals with insomnia. The concentrate increased melatonin and sleep time.
- Over time: in 65-80 year olds, 12 weeks of daily juice lowered an inflammation marker, C-reactive protein.
Did you know?
Consuming tart cherries (Montmorency) increased sleep duration by 84 minutes and improved sleep efficiency in older adults suffering from insomnia.
What the studies say
This randomized, placebo-controlled study examined the effect of tart cherry juice concentrate on arterial stiffness and inflammation in 47 healthy adults. Although the intervention had no significant effect on arterial stiffness, C-reactive protein, blood pressure, or cholesterol, it led to a significant increase in plasma antioxidant capacity.
Lynn A, Mathew S, Moore CT, Russell J, Robinson E, Soumpasi V, Barker ME. — Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands) (2014) — View the source study
Pairs well with
- L-carnitineTart cherry (Montmorency) is documented for accelerating muscle recovery, reducing pain and inflammation after intense exercise, effects that are complementary to those of L-carnitine which also attenuates muscle damage and pain, and reduces markers of cell damage, oxidative stress and inflammation.
- AshwagandhaTart cherry (Montmorency) is recognized for improving sleep quality and reducing inflammation as well as oxidative stress, effects that are complementary to those of Ashwagandha which also shows benefits for sleep quality, stress reduction and inflammation.
- MelatoninStudies show that tart cherry (Montmorency) can increase melatonin and improve sleep quality, which combines directly with Melatonin supplementation, recognized for its significant effects on improving sleep quality and duration.
- Omega-3Tart cherry (Montmorency) is associated with a reduction in inflammation and oxidative stress, effects that are complementary to Omega-3s which are recognized for mediating the resolution of inflammation and protecting against chronic inflammatory diseases.
For information only: not a substitute for medical advice. Dietary supplements are not a replacement for a varied, balanced diet. Learn more