Cherry juice is being promoted as a new sports drink.
Cherries, with their deep red colour, contain antioxidants which have anti-inflammatory power.
In a study conducted by researchers from Oregon Health and Science University, drinking cherry juice twice a day for seven days before a long-distance run alleviated post-run muscle pain by several degrees.
Drinking other juices had less of an effect. They reported that cherry juice is a healthy alternative to taking over-the-counter pain killers after running.
The new research was presented at the recent American College of Sports Medicine Conference in Seattle, Wash.
To be effective, the drink has to be 100 per cent cherry juice.
