What is Tart Cherry Extract?
Tart cherries (Prunus cerasus), also known as Montmorency cherries, are rich in anthocyanins and polyphenols — plant compounds with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (1). Optiventure uses a 10:1 extract, meaning 100mg of this powder is equivalent to 1,000mg of whole tart cherry fruit, concentrating its bioactives without the sugar load.
Research into tart cherry extract has exploded in recent years, with studies highlighting its benefits for exercise recovery, sleep regulation, and oxidative stress reduction, all highly relevant to outdoor adventurers (2).
Why Do Outdoor Adventurers Need Tart Cherry Extract?
Hiking, trail running, and multi-day expeditions create a potent mix of muscle damage, joint stress, poor sleep, and immune strain. Tart cherry helps blunt that inflammatory response and support whole-body resilience (2,8).
Tart cherries are especially useful for:
- Reducing exercise-induced muscle soreness and strength loss (3,7)
- Enhancing melatonin levels and improving sleep efficiency (4)
- Reducing inflammatory biomarkers like CRP and IL-6 (5,7,8)
- Supporting recovery of joint function in active adults (6,7)
It’s one of nature’s most evidence-backed recovery boosters with no ice bath required.
Dietary Sources of Tart Cherry?
You’ll find tart cherries in juice, concentrate, dried form, or as fresh fruit, but commercial juice can be high in sugar, and all of those forms are hard to carry on the trail. Powdered 10:1 extract offers the same benefits in a lightweight, concentrated, and easily dosed form.
Plus, anthocyanin content varies widely depending on origin, harvest, and processing, so standardised extracts offer more consistent results (7).
What’s the Best Form of Tart Cherry For Hikers?
Not all extracts are created equal:
- Juice/concentrate: Effective but bulky and high in sugar
- Freeze-dried powder: Nutrient-preserving, but may be underdosed
- Standardised 10:1 extract: Potent, consistent, and backpack-friendly.
Optiventure uses this form to deliver real-world recovery in a trail-ready format.
Key Information About Tart Cherry
|
Solubility |
Water-soluble |
|
Optimal Intake |
No industry consensus, research is ongoing. However most research is being conducted in the range of 300–1,200mg/day equivalent fruit (9,11) |
|
Best Dietary Sources |
Tart cherry juice, concentrate, dried tart cherries |
|
Best Form for Hikers |
10:1 standardised extract (low sugar, high anthocyanins) |
|
Time of Day |
Evening or post-exercise (supports recovery and sleep) |
|
Dietary Considerations |
People with stone fruit allergies should avoid them. |
Deficiency Stats
Tart cherry is not an essential nutrient, but most diets are low in anthocyanins which are the flavonoids responsible for many of the benefits of the cherries. The average American diet contains only 12.5mg/day of anthocyanins (24.2mg/day in Australia), far below levels shown to support inflammation and recovery (10).
Why Optiventure Has 100mg of Tart Cherry Extract 10:1
This concentrated dose offers:
- The equivalent of 1g of whole tart cherry
- Clinically relevant levels of anthocyanins for exercise recovery
- Synergistic benefits for sleep and inflammation management
Perfect for those early alpine starts or sore quads after a descent this dose supports the bounce-back so you can do it all again the next day.
References
- Seeram, N. P., Bourquin, L. D., & Nair, M. G. (2001). Degradation products of cyanidin glycosides from tart cherries and their bioactivities. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 49(10), 4924–4929. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf010476f
- Bell, P. G., McHugh, M. P., Stevenson, E., & Howatson, G. (2014). The role of cherries in exercise and health. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 24(3), 477–490. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12085
- Connolly, D. A., McHugh, M. P., & Padilla-Zakour, O. I. (2006). Efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in preventing the symptoms of muscle damage. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 40(8), 679–683. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2005.025429
- Howatson, G., Bell, P. G., Tallent, J., Middleton, B., McHugh, M. P., & Ellis, J. (2012). Effect of tart cherry juice on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. European Journal of Nutrition, 51(8), 909–916. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-011-0263-7
- Kelley, D. S., Rasooly, R., Jacob, R. A., Kader, A. A., & Mackey, B. E. (2006). Consumption of bing sweet cherries lowers circulating concentrations of inflammation markers in healthy men and women. The Journal of Nutrition, 136(4), 981–986. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/136.4.981
- Schumacher, H. R., Pullman-Mooar, S., Gupta, S. R., Dinnella, J. E., Kim, R., & McHugh, M. P. (2013). Randomized controlled trial of a tart cherry juice blend in osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 21(7), 1035–1041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2013.04.002
- Colletti, A., Cravotto, G., De Meo, A., Pellizzato, M., Riccardi, E. L., & Marchetti, M. (2025). Health benefits of (poly)phenols from cherries: A review of clinical trials. Nutraceuticals, 5(2), Article 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/nutraceuticals5020012
- Bowtell, J. L., & Kelly, V. (2019). Fruit-derived polyphenol supplementation for athlete recovery and performance. Sports Medicine, 49(S1), 3–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-0998-x
- Hall, A. (n.d.). Tart cherries – Your new functional food training friend. Sports Dietitians Australia. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/tart-cherries-your-new-functional-food-training-friend/
- Gonçalves, A. C., Nunes, A. R., Falcão, A., Alves, G., & Silva, L. R. (2021). Dietary effects of anthocyanins in human health: A comprehensive review. Pharmaceuticals, 14(7), 690. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph14070690
- Australian Institute of Sport. (2019). Sport‑supplement fact sheets: Fruit‑derived polyphenols (cherries, berries, blackcurrants & pomegranate) (36194). Australian Government. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://www.ais.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/1000919/36194_Sport-supplement-fact-sheets-fruit-derived-polyphenols.pdf