Effects of Tart Cherry Juice Supplementation on Recovery from Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized/controlled trials
PubMed 41945263 · doi:10.1186/s40798-026-00993-3
What was done
A systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA 2020 guidelines was conducted using PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus (searched through December 25, 2025). Nineteen trials were analyzed to evaluate the effects of tart cherry juice supplementation on physical, biochemical, and perceptual recovery markers after exercise-induced muscle damage in trained athletes.
What was found
Tart cherry juice significantly improved maximal voluntary contraction recovery at all measured intervals: post-exercise (ES = 0.63), 24 h (ES = 1.12), 48 h (ES = 1.29), 72 h (ES = 2.14), and 96 h (ES = 4.82), with high heterogeneity (I² 69-93%). Countermovement jump recovery was significantly improved only at 48 h (ES = 1.41; I² = 72%), with no significant effects post-exercise or at 24 h. C-reactive protein was significantly reduced post-exercise (ES = -0.46), at 24 h (ES = -0.73), and at 48 h (ES = -0.68). No significant pooled effects were observed for muscle soreness, creatine kinase, IL-6, TNF-α, or range of motion.
Why it matters
Tart cherry juice selectively accelerates isometric strength recovery and lowers acute inflammatory markers, but it does not appear to reduce subjective muscle soreness or direct markers of muscle damage.
Limits
The total participant count is not reported in the abstract. Substantial heterogeneity was observed across functional outcomes (I² up to 93%), sensitivity analyses showed statistical significance at several time points was driven by individual studies, and GRADE certainty of evidence was only very low to moderate.
Cited by
- supports Scientific data supports tart cherry juice reducing muscle soreness and exercise-induced muscle damage.