{"id":199631,"date":"2025-08-14T13:24:51","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T13:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=199631"},"modified":"2025-08-14T13:24:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T13:24:51","slug":"why-cherry-juice-is-the-go-to-recovery-drink-at-the-tour-de-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2025\/08\/14\/why-cherry-juice-is-the-go-to-recovery-drink-at-the-tour-de-france\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Cherry Juice Is the Go-To Recovery Drink at the Tour de France"},"content":{"rendered":"

Watch closely after a Tour de France stage, and you\u2019ll see a familiar ritual. Riders crossing the line and soigneurs immediately handing them a dark red drink. Yes, that\u2019s cherry juice. It might seem too simple to belong in the elite world of sports nutrition, but sour cherry juice has quietly become one of the most widely used recovery tools in pro cycling. So why have so many teams adopted it? And could it help amateur athletes, too?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What\u2019s in sour cherry juice?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The benefits of cherry juice come mainly from Montmorency tart cherries, a variety with unusually high levels of polyphenols, particularly a group called anthocyanins. These compounds are responsible for the deep red colour of the juice and are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.<\/p>\n

This matters because after intense exercise, especially multi-hour efforts like mountain stages, muscle fibres experience micro-damage. The body responds with inflammation and oxidative stress, both part of normal recovery. But when performance is needed again the next day, riders can\u2019t afford to wait. That\u2019s where tart cherry juice comes in. It helps accelerate the recovery process.<\/p>\n

How it helps recovery and performance<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Several studies<\/a> have shown that sour cherry juice can:<\/p>\n