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Use Cherries to Mend Muscle
Recover from hefting 200 pounds of iron by lifting 12 ounces of cherry juice. In an 8-day study of weight-training men, University of Vermont researchers discovered that those who imbibed a tall glass of a cherry-juice blend twice a day retained more strength (18 percent) and experienced faster pain relief (1 day sooner) than men who downed cherry-flavored Kool-Aid. A concentration of inflammation-fighting antioxidants inside cherries helps erase the ache, says Declan Connolly, Ph.D., the study author. "They minimize the microscopic muscle tears that occur during forceful contraction."
Make it work for you: Normally, calorie considerations would argue for chewing your cherries instead of drinking them. Only problem is that you'd have to eat dozens of cherries to realize the anti-inflammatory effect of one glass of the juice, which Connolly points out is really all anyone should need to feel results. What is important, however, is the timing of your imbibing. "It's best to drink it after lifting or any time you do a higher-intensity workout," he says. Look for a brand made with "red tart cherries" but without added sugar, such as Organic Just Tart Cherry from R.W. Knudsen ($5), or CherryPharm, expected early this fall.
Recover from hefting 200 pounds of iron by lifting 12 ounces of cherry juice. In an 8-day study of weight-training men, University of Vermont researchers discovered that those who imbibed a tall glass of a cherry-juice blend twice a day retained more strength (18 percent) and experienced faster pain relief (1 day sooner) than men who downed cherry-flavored Kool-Aid. A concentration of inflammation-fighting antioxidants inside cherries helps erase the ache, says Declan Connolly, Ph.D., the study author. "They minimize the microscopic muscle tears that occur during forceful contraction."
Make it work for you: Normally, calorie considerations would argue for chewing your cherries instead of drinking them. Only problem is that you'd have to eat dozens of cherries to realize the anti-inflammatory effect of one glass of the juice, which Connolly points out is really all anyone should need to feel results. What is important, however, is the timing of your imbibing. "It's best to drink it after lifting or any time you do a higher-intensity workout," he says. Look for a brand made with "red tart cherries" but without added sugar, such as Organic Just Tart Cherry from R.W. Knudsen ($5), or CherryPharm, expected early this fall.
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