Sour cherries: Important nutrients, good for the muscles

General information about sour cherries

Sour cherries belong to the rose family and are cultivated throughout the northern hemisphere as fruit trees or shrubs.

Nutrients and effect for athletes

Vitamin rich and antioxidant

Sour cherries have high content of vitamin A (retinol), vitamin B1 and B2, C and E.

The content of potassium, niacin and folic acid is also comparatively high. Furthermore, sour cherries stand out as one of the few sources of natural melatonin, which plays a crucial role in the regulation of the sleep-wake rhythm. Therefore, it is believed to have a positive effect on sleep disorders.

Positive effect on vessels and muscles

Sour cherries have a positive effect on gout, arthritis and vascular diseases, among others. Cherries can have a vasodilatory effect and, according to the first promising studies, improve the oxygen supply to the muscles. The polyphenols contained can favorably influence regeneration and reduce muscle pain.

When consumed, moreover, the sour cherry has a very pleasant taste, even with prolonged exposure and even in larger quantities.

Current study results

Study 2016: 16 trained cyclists were provided with 30 ml of sour cherry concentrate 2 times a day for 7 days or as a comparison with placebo in the control group. The influence on oxidative stress, inflammation and muscle damage over 3 days of simulated cycling training was investigated. As a result, it was found that sour cherry concentrate, when consumed regularly, can reduce muscle soreness and muscle fatigue caused by intense workouts. (1)

Study 2011: 10 well-trained male athletes performed 10 sets of intense unilateral leg exercises in the experimental constellation and were provided with sour cherry concentrate supplement or isoenergetic fruit concentrate for 7 days before and 48 hours after the exercises. The influence on oxidative damage and muscle function was investigated. As a result, it was found that the sour cherry supplement reduced muscle damage and improved muscle strength recovery.(2)

In summary, sour cherry concentrate can help reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress and the corresponding symptoms in muscle/tissue due to its high antioxidant content, among other things.

Your ideal training companion

For long-term, uniform loads, our SLOW CARB is therefore a good solution. The amount of sour cherries per serving in the product corresponds to about 35g of fresh cherries.

A possible “non-adaptation” to a training stimulus due to an overload of antioxidant substances would only occur from about 8 servings.