If you enjoy the benefits of a healthy workout but not the aches and pains that can follow there may be simple and pleasant solution. Researchers at the University of Vermont have discovered that drinking cherry juice after your workout can help to prevent the pain related to muscle strain.

Fourteen volunteers were asked to flex and tense the muscles in one arm 20 times. Participants were given either a cherry and apple juice blend or a cherry-free juice to drink for three days prior to the exercise and for an additional four days after.

After two weeks the same routine was followed with the opposing arm and with participants switching which juice blend they drank. Volunteers were asked to rate the level of muscle pain and soreness on a scale of one to ten. Researchers also measured their muscle strength and range of motion.

What they found was that participants who drank the cherry-free blend lost 22% of their muscle strength while those who consumed cherry juice only lost 4% of their strength! The volunteers’ reported pain rating was also much lower.

The cherry juice drinkers even continued to gain strength in the following 96 hours. So the next time you go to the natural foods store you may want to pick up some cherry juice  to enhance your exercise routine.