Tart cherry supplementation for exercise recovery: an evidence-informed narrative review and applied monitoring framework

PURPOSE: This review synthesizes evidence on tart cherry juice supplementation for recovery after exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and develops an expert-informed applied framework for sports nutrition practice. METHODS: This evidence-informed narrative review, supported by a structured literature search, prioritized peer-reviewed human experimental studies (especially randomized placebo-controlled trials), with systematic reviews and meta-analyses used for contextualization. The outcomes included delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)/perceived recovery, neuromuscular recovery (strength/power), and biochemical indices of muscle damage and inflammation. The interpretation considered training status, exercise model (eccentric, endurance, intermittent), supplement form, timing architecture, and assessment windows. RESULTS: The proposed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms did not consistently translate into functional benefits in different contexts. Favorable signals are more frequent for soreness and perceptual outcomes, whereas strength/power findings are mixed and condition-dependent, and biochemical responses are heterogeneous and difficult to interpret in isolation. Several controlled trials have reported null effects, indicating potential limitations to efficacy related to population characteristics, protocol design, dosing/composition, and outcome timing. CONCLUSION: Tart cherry juice is best interpreted as a context-dependent adjunct during high recovery-pressure periods (e.g., congested fixtures, short turnarounds, travel) rather than as a universal daily intervention. Given the theoretical concerns regarding adaptation blunting with chronic antioxidant exposure and limited long-term data, a periodized approach is warranted. Further, potential sponsorship/publication bias should be considered when translating the evidence into practice.