Cherries linked to muscle recovery

TART cherries could help athletes reduce muscle damage to recover faster from a tough workout, according to new research published in the American College of Sports Medicine’s journal, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
Ten trained athletes were given one ounce of tart cherry juice concentrate twice daily for seven days prior to and two days after an intense round of strength training. After drinking cherry juice, the athletes returned to 90% of normal muscle force at 24 hours, compared to only 85% of normal at the same time point without cherry juice – a significant difference that could affect an athlete’s next bout of performance.
Researchers suggest that the powerful antioxidant compounds in cherry juice likely decreased oxidative damage to the athletes’ muscles – the damage that normally occurs when muscles are worked to their max – allowing the muscles to recover more quickly.Designers Sneakers