Recovery with vistula tart cherries following a marathon.

Marathon running caused significant changes over time in all measured indices of muscle damage and inflammation.

• Significant changes over time were observed for all variables (p < 0.001) indicating muscle damage.
• Variables assessed included MVC, CMJ, DOMS, plasma CK, and hs-CRP.
• Assessments were taken before, immediately after, and at 24- and 48-h post marathon.
• 35 recreationally trained marathon runners completed an undulating marathon course (mean age 40 ± 10 years, stature 176.5 ± 10.2 cm, mass 78.8 ± 13.8 kg).

Vistula tart cherry supplementation resulted in significantly lower hs-CRP levels during recovery compared to placebo.

• There was a statistically significant treatment effect for hs-CRP (p = 0.031).
• Mean hs-CRP during recovery was 7.9 ± 3.5 mg/L in the TC group versus 12.5 ± 5.1 mg/L in the placebo group.
• 17 participants received freeze-dried TC powder and 18 received a calorie-matched placebo.
• Supplementation was administered for 7 days with the marathon on day 5.

Vistula tart cherry supplementation had no significant effect on functional recovery measures or muscle soreness following the marathon.

• There were no treatment or interaction effects for MVC, CMJ, DOMS, and CK (p > 0.2).
• This indicates that despite reduced inflammation, the TC group did not experience improved muscle function or reduced soreness compared to placebo.
• Participants were randomised to treatment groups in a between-groups design.

The study examined the Vistula cultivar of tart cherries, which had not been previously explored for exercise recovery.

• Prior research on tart cherries for exercise recovery had focused on other cultivars, not Vistula.
• Tart cherries have become a popular nutritional strategy for attenuation of markers associated with muscle damage and inflammation.
• The supplementation protocol involved freeze-dried TC powder given for 7 days surrounding a real-world marathon event.