Tart cherry juice continues to excite sports researchers because of the evidence supporting claims that it helps with muscle recovery following intense exercise. Recent evidence is presented supporting the view that cherry juice also alleviates respiratory tract issues. Marathon runners especially and commonly suffer from coughs and respiratory tract problems after running.  A study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition has provided further evidence that drinking tart cherry juice from the Montmorency cultivar could reduce these upper respiratory tract symptoms following such long distance running. The Montmorency cultivar is commonly found in the United States.

Research in the UK, led by Lygeri Dimitriou at the London Sport Institute (Middlesex University) and Glyn Howatson at Northumbria University showed that runners drinking the tart cherry juice had low levels of various markers associated with inflammation compared to the placebo group (Dimitriou et al., 2015). These runners were examined after 24 and 48 hours following the marathon and 50% of those in the placebo group reported upper respiratory tract symptoms (URTS) 48 hours after the race but the cherry juice consumers reported no symptoms.

The study followed 20 recreational Marathon runners who drank two servings of the Montmorency tart cherry juice with apple juice (CherryPharm Inc., New York) or a placebo drink twice a day in the morning and afternoon.  The serving size was nearly 8 ounces or 236 ml and the cherry juice drink contained the equivalent of between 50 and 60 cherries containing close to 40 mg of total anthocyanins. Consumption covered eight consecutive days, with five days leading up to the marathon, on the race day and then two days afterwards. The runners did not take any nutritional supplements, pharmacological compounds or strenuous exercise apart from their normal race training, during the study.

Various stress markers were monitored on four occasions. These were the day before the race, immediately following it, and 24 and 48 hours after it. The markers covered inflammation, stress, mucosal immunity and URTS. The C-reactive protein which is a marker for inflammation was significantly high enough for both groups but was drastically reduced in the cherry juice imbibers  compared to the placebo group.  

Howatson stated:

“Many athletes can suffer from colds and sore throats following strenuous bouts of exercise, like marathon running and triathlons. This is the first study to provide encouraging evidence of the potential role of Montmorency tart cherries in reducing symptoms associated with the development of exercise-induced respiratory problems. We should be looking at all the potential ways we can help athletes recover from strenuous exercise, and protection of the respiratory system is another dimension.”

The research builds on evidence being accumulated by various research teams but predominantly by Northumbria University which has been discussed in an earlier article on recovery from muscle soreness (Bell et al., 2015). In those earlier studies, long distance cyclists were also examined (Bell et al., 2014).

Future research will look at whether symptoms of URTS are further minimised with drinking tart cherry juice beyond the 48 hour timeframe. The componentry in cherry juice is also under scrutiny because it has a significant anthocyanin content and possibly other factors too which contribute to the effect.

References

Bell, P.G., Walshe, I.H., Davison, G.W., Stevenson, E., Howatson, G. (2014) Montmorency cherries reduce the oxidative stress and inflammatory responses to repeated days high-intensity stochastic cycling. Nutrients 6  pp. 829-843.

_________________________________________________(2015) Recovery facilitation with Montmorency cherries following high-intensity, metabolically challenging exercise. App. Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism. 40  pp. 414-423.

Dimitriou, L., Hill, J.A., Jehnali, A., Dunbar, J., Brouner, J., McHugh, M.P., Howatson, G. (2015) Influence of a Montmorency cherry juice blend on indices of exercise-induced stress and upper respiratory tract symptoms following marathon running—a pilot investigation. J. Int. Soc. Sports Nutr. 12:22 doi:10.1186/s12970-015-0085-8.

Howatson, G., McHugh, M., Hill, J., Brouner, J., Jewell, A., Van Someren, K.A., Shave, R.E., Howatson, S.A. (2010) Influence of tart cherry juice on indices of recovery following marathon running. Scand. J. Med. Sci. in Sports. 20  pp. 843-52.