Abstract
- Background
Strenuous physical exercise involving maximal concentric and eccentric muscle contractions frequently induces exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD), accompanied by transient losses in muscle function, reduced power output, altered neuromuscular activation, and severe delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). While various functional foods and polyphenol-rich botanical supplements have been explored to accelerate post-exercise recovery, findings remain variable depending on population demographics, exercise protocols, and supplementation regimens. Tart cherries (Prunus cerasus) are exceptionally rich in bioactive anthocyanins and phenolic compounds known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This randomized, crossover study was designed to investigate the specific physiological and functional efficacy of a concentrated tart cherry supplement on recovery markers following an exhaustive muscle-damaging exercise protocol in recreationally active women.
- Methods
A rigorous, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial was conducted involving seventeen healthy, recreationally active women (mean age ± SD = 22.2 ± 3.3 years, height = 162.0 ± 6.0 cm, body mass = 65.1 ± 11.1 kg, BMI = 24.7 ± 3.5 kg/m²). Participants were supplemented with either 1000 mg of concentrated tart cherry extract or an organoleptically matched placebo daily for eight consecutive days in a randomized order, with a two-week washout crossover phase between trials using the opposite supplement. On the fourth day of each supplementation period, subjects performed a standardized muscle-damaging overload exercise protocol consisting of 8 sets of 10 repetitions of maximal effort concentric and eccentric muscle actions of the leg extensors at a velocity of 60°/s. Comprehensive testing sessions—including a detailed muscle function test (MFT) evaluating peak torque, peak power, total work, time-to-peak torque, mean power, quadriceps muscle activation, and subjective ratings of muscle soreness—were systematically performed at baseline and at 0 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-testing.
- Results
Statistical analysis of the physiological and performance endpoints revealed no significant main effects or interaction improvements attributable to the tart cherry intervention:
Muscle Function & Peak Torque: No significant three-way interaction for time $\times$ condition $\times$ velocity ($P = 0.916$) and no significant main effect for condition ($P = 0.557$) were observed for peak torque. However, significant main effects for time and velocity were demonstrated for concentric quadriceps peak torque ($P < 0.001$), reflecting expected exercise-induced fatigue and recovery patterns.
Functional Performance & Activation: Supplementation with tart cherry did not significantly attenuate losses in isokinetic peak power, total work, time-to-peak torque, or quadriceps muscle activation following the damaging exercise protocol.
Muscle Soreness: Regarding subjective ratings of muscle soreness, no two-way interaction for time $\times$ condition ($P > 0.05$) and no main effect for condition ($P > 0.05$) were detected, though a significant main effect for time ($P < 0.001$) confirmed the successful induction of DOMS following the protocol.
The supplementation regimen was safe and well-tolerated by all participants.
- Conclusions
Daily supplementation with 1000 mg of a concentrated tart cherry supplement did not attenuate losses in isokinetic muscle peak torque, peak power, total work, time-to-peak torque, quadriceps muscle activation, or subjective muscle soreness in recreationally active women following exhaustive exercise-induced muscle damage. These findings highlight that tart cherry supplementation may not confer ergogenic recovery benefits under specific exercise paradigms and female cohort parameters, emphasizing the need for continued investigation into dose-response dynamics and population-specific responses.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10443385/