Cherry picked: Pop a cherry to boost muscle recovery

This tiny red fruit packs a powerful punch. Used medicinally for thousands of years, research has revealed that the humble cherry has a number of health benefits for athletes, including speeding up muscle recovery. According to research by the Oregon Health and Science University in America, the anti-inflammatory properties of tart cherries significantly reduces muscle pain following rigorous exercise.

Run harder

The study showed that runners who drank tart cherry juice before a long-distance race experienced less muscle pain than those who drank a placebo. Backing up this claim, is a separate study by London South Bank University which found that after drinking cherry juice athletes returned to 90 per cent of normal muscle force in 24 hours. If that wasn’t reason enough to get your fill of the red stuff, the researchers also found that cherries can help reduce inflammation associated with heart disease and arthritis, build muscle strength and encourage healthy joints.

Sex booster

Still not convinced? Well this should do it: researchers also found that cherry juice boosts libido in men and women as vitamin A increases testosterone and oestrogen levels, while vitamin C boosts sexual appetite and increases men’s semen volume. We can’t think of any better reason not to celebrate National Cherry Day on 16 July with a glass or two!