Findings, from the British Journal of Sports Medicine, show that drinking cherry juice before and after exercise may decrease workout-related muscle pain and damage. The study was conducted on 14 male college students. They were given one of two drinks over several days: tart cherry juice mixed with apple juice, or a cherry-flavored soft drink lacking cherry juice (placebo).

At the beginning of the study, students were given a baseline of tests including arm strength, muscle pain, muscle tenderness, and a range of motion. Then, the participants were told to drink one bottle of their assigned beverage in the morning and one in the evening for the next eight days. On day four, tests were conducted on their arm strength. They continued to drink their assigned beverages for the following four days.

Every day, the students rated their muscle pain on a scale of 0-10. 0 is no pain, and 10 equals the worst pain. They also continued to take tests of muscle tenderness, range of motion, and strength loss in the arm being studied.

After day eight, to compare, the students repeated the experiment using the other arm and drink.

As a result, students’ pain scores and muscle strength loss were lower with the cherry juice than with the placebo. Muscle tenderness and range of motion were similar for the two drinks. Therefore, there was a clear preservation of muscle function due to the cherry juice.

Source: Hitti, Miranda. “Cherry Juice May Cut Muscle Pain.” Webmd. http://www.webmd.com/content/article/123/115264.htm.