Cherry Juice for Sore Muscles?
Thu, June 29, 2006 at 05:04AM The latest garden produce to receive medical attention is the tart cherry. Prior candidates have included walnuts, cranberries, and tomatoes. Now cherry juice, if drunk before and after strenuous exercise, has been shown to ease the pain of sore muscles.
The cherry juice blend used in the study was equivalent to 50 to 60 fresh cherries mixed with apple juice. It was given to male students twice a day for 8 days; controls receive apple juice alone. After 4 days the students did a series of weight-lifting exercises –strictly standardized – with measurement of muscle strength, pain, and tenderness before and afterwards. The whole procedure was repeated 2 weeks later, with the students switched from cherry juice to apple juice, or vice versa. Loss of strength and presence of pain was significantly less in the students when they were in their cherry juice phase of the study. Average pain scores were 50% higher with the placebo (apple juice), while pain in the cherry juice subjects peaked after 24 hours and then diminished.
You can probably guess what the researchers think is the magic principal in the cherries that produced this effect. Antioxidants! Muscle use may result in damage to muscle fibers, which cause inflammation, and release of free radicals, which can then be ‘sopped up’ by antioxidants.
You will also not be surprised to hear the study was funded by Cherrypharm, Inc., of West Hartford Connecticut.
Reader Comments (1)
Hi!
Where can i read more about indian pharmacy
Men's Health treatment?