A more robust sports drink?

Parents and athletes alike are giving commercial sports drinks a big kiss good-bye. It’s been happening ever since nutrition scientists from Rutgers University issued a report called The Hidden Dangers of Sports and Energy Drinks. The study found that commercial sports and energy drinks can be harmful to children. Not surprisingly, Tart Cherry Juice has become one topic sports nutritionists are exploring in different recovery scenarios.

Marathon runners go the distance. After racing 26 miles though, they are at a higher risk for upper respiratory tract infections in the days after the event. A research team from the UK, led by Glyn Watson from North Umbria University and Lygeri Dimitriou from Middlesex University, found that marathon runners who drank tart cherry juice had lower markers for inflammation than the placebo group. That was true at both 24 hours and 48 hours after running a marathon. How about the runners in the placebo group who didn’t drink the juice? 50 percent of them suffered from Upper Respiratory Tract Symptoms. You can read the study here.

There were interesting results from tart cherry juice among cyclists as well as runners. Another study Howatson lead with high-intensity cyclists, found that the cyclists in the tart cherry juice group maintained more muscle function and experienced a reduction in some inflammatory responses following a simulated cycling race, compared to those consuming a placebo drink. The tart cherry juice group also appeared to maintain exercise efficiency which reduces the amount of oxygen that their muscles need to do work of cycling.