Does tart cherry juice reduce muscle soreness?

Short answer

It barely reduces soreness. Pooled studies showed only a small drop in soreness, and 19 trials in people who train showed none. The effect showed up more often in strength recovery and inflammation markers than in soreness.

Does tart cherry juice reduce muscle soreness?
'Antioxidants → less inflammation → less soreness' — does this formula hold?
Tart cherry juice is rich in red pigments said to calm inflammation, so it is often sold as a fix for post-workout soreness. We checked whether soreness actually goes down.
Pooled studies show a little less soreness
It went down, but only slightly
A 2021 analysis that pooled 14 studies found tart cherry reduced soreness, but the effect was small. A 2026 analysis of 30 trials with 595 people also found less soreness at 48 hours, and again the size was small.
But athletes alone told a different story
No soreness difference across 19 trials
A 2026 analysis of 19 trials in people who train found no difference in soreness versus a fake drink at any point from right after exercise to 72 hours. Muscle damage markers were no different either.
Single trials found the same soreness
After soccer matches and marathons alike
10 people drank it around a soccer match, and soreness and jump height matched a fake drink. In 36 people drinking 250 mL twice a day for 9 days, strength and soreness recovery were no different. 35 people who ran a marathon also had the same soreness.
Strength and inflammation were another matter
Strength often came back faster, even when soreness didn't change
In the 2021 analysis, the effect on strength recovery was bigger than on soreness. The 19-trial analysis also found faster recovery of maximum strength. In a trial of 20 people who ran a marathon, strength came back faster. In a 2026 marathon trial, an inflammation marker was 7.9 versus 12.5 with the fake drink.
How much and how long in the studies
30 mL of concentrate twice a day, starting days before
The trials that found effects used 30 mL of concentrate twice a day, from 4 to 7 days before exercise until 2 to 3 days after. It is not a one-shot drink on the day. Trials using plain juice gave 250 mL twice a day.
Bottom line: not a soreness fix
The formula breaks at 'less inflammation → less soreness'
Tart cherry lowered inflammation and sped up strength recovery, but it barely reduced soreness. If the goal is to kill soreness, keep expectations low. It works as a recovery aid during stretches of big games or back-to-back competitions.