Why Tart Cherry Deserves a Spot in Your Recovery Routine

By Dr. Brandon Johnson DC, CCSP® | Co-Founder of Voli

As a Sports Chiropractor and Co-Founder of Voli, I’ve worked with patients ranging from weekend warriors to elite athletes. One thing they all have in common? They want to recover faster and feel less beat up the next day. That’s where tart cherry comes in.

Tart cherry isn't just some trendy superfruit, it’s one of the most underrated recovery ingredients out there. Backed by science, trusted by pros, and now part of Voli Recovery, tart cherry delivers powerful results with a surprisingly delicious kick.

Let’s dive into what makes this fruit so effective, and why it deserves a permanent spot in your wellness routine.

What Is Tart Cherry?

Tart cherry (specifically the Montmorency variety) is a bright red, sour cherry native to the U.S. and Europe. While sweet cherries are great on a summer day, it’s tart cherries that pack the real punch when it comes to recovery benefits. The secret lies in their high concentration of anthocyanins, which are natural plant compounds that give the fruit its color and many of its therapeutic properties.

Tart cherry has been studied for everything from reducing soreness and inflammation to improving sleep quality and joint health. Unlike synthetic recovery products, it works in harmony with your body, without harsh side effects.

Why Tart Cherry Works

Muscle Recovery:

Tart cherry has been shown to significantly reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after intense training. This is due to its ability to blunt the body’s inflammatory response post-exercise, especially when taken consistently before and after strenuous activity. One study on endurance runners showed that tart cherry juice significantly reduced muscle pain and strength loss after a marathon (JISSN).

Anti-Inflammatory Power:

The anthocyanins in tart cherry have been shown to inhibit COX enzymes, the same inflammatory pathways targeted by NSAIDs (Advil), but without the negative gut side effects. For people dealing with chronic joint discomfort or general inflammation, it’s a natural win.

Antioxidant Support:

In addition to inflammation control, tart cherry also delivers potent antioxidant protection. This helps combat oxidative stress and neutralize free radicals generated during physical exertion, poor sleep, or environmental exposure.

Sleep Quality:

Here’s a bonus: tart cherry naturally contains melatonin and supports tryptophan (an amino acid that regulates mood & sleep) availability, which may explain its positive effects on sleep quality. For athletes and high performers, better sleep is often the missing link in better recovery.

Why We Use It in Voli

At Voli, we don’t chase trends, we choose ingredients that perform. Tart cherry is one of our core recovery agents in Voli Recovery, not just for what it does on paper, but for how it helps people feel.

Whether you’re sore after a HIIT session, stiff after a flight, or just trying to keep up with an active life, tart cherry helps reduce the daily wear and tear on your body, without needing to pop a painkiller.

It also works synergistically with other ingredients in our formula, like curcumin, ginger, and glutathione, to amplify your body’s natural healing response.

Is It Safe?

Yes. Tart cherry has an excellent safety profile and is well tolerated by most people, even in clinical doses. It’s been studied extensively in both food and supplement form, and the benefits appear strongest when consumed consistently over time.

Final Thoughts

Tart cherry might not have the hype of some other ingredients, but it’s one of the most well-rounded, research-backed tools in recovery nutrition. From muscle soreness to inflammation to better sleep, it covers a lot of ground and tastes great doing it.

We include tart cherry in Voli because it’s something I’d recommend to my patients, my athletes, and my own family. It’s not a gimmick, it’s a smart, natural way to help your body bounce back.

Dr. Brandon Johnson DC, CCSP®

Chiropractor | Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician

Co-Founder of Voli

References

Connolly, D.A. et al. (2006). Efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in preventing the symptoms of muscle damage. JISSN
Bell, P.G. et al. (2014). Montmorency cherries reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
Howatson, G. et al. (2010). Effect of tart cherry juice on recovery following marathon running. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Pigeon, W.R. et al. (2010). Effects of tart cherry juice on sleep in older adults with insomnia. Journal of Medicinal Food
McHugh, M.P. (2003). Recent advances in the understanding of the repeated bout effect. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews