As soon as they cross the finish line of a race, our soigneurs are waiting for them with 500ml bottles from Amacx, which contain sour cherry extract: a rich source of the polyphenol anthocyanin, which reduces muscle inflammation thanks to its anti-oxidative effect.

“Cherry juice is a really good antioxidant, which is just what you need after a hard day's racing to try to prevent any more damage to your muscles and get them recovering as soon as possible,” says EF Pro Cycling Head Doctor Jon Greenwell. “This year, Amacx have provided us with a new product and it is much better, because it's also got 30 grams of carbohydrate in it, so you're preventing muscle damage and you're refueling the muscles and getting them ready for racing the next day.”

Amacx cherry juice contains 100mg of anthocyanins. Research shows that anthocyanins extracted from specific tart cherries help reduce muscle damage and soreness after hard exercise and help athletes perform better the day after a tough effort. Because cherries also contain high concentrations of carbohydrates, drinking cherry juice right after a race helps our riders replenish their glycogen stores fast. Doing so also benefits their sleep strategy, since sour cherries contain relatively high concentrations of melatonin.

“It has become the first step in our recovery strategy,” says Doctor Greenwell. “The riders drink their cherry juice, and then rehydrate with more water. And then we move on to protein, and then more carbohydrates with a post race meal. During a stage race, it is especially important that they drink their cherry juice as soon as they cross the line. We know that muscles are most receptive as soon as you have finished exercising, particularly when you are trying to refill with carbohydrates, as well. So, the sooner the better.”

Anthocyanin is such a strong antioxidant that it is better to save cherry juice for race days and avoid drinking it when you are in a build-phase of training. The inflammation and muscle tears that result from hard efforts are an important training stimulus. But, when you have just done a hard ride and want to go as you fast as you can the next day, gulp down Amacx cherry juice like the pros.

“During training you want to have the oxidants there, because you want the muscle adaptation,” says Dr. Greenwell. “Basically, when you're training, you're breaking muscle down, and then overnight it's repairing itself and that process gets more efficient. It improves the blood flow. It improves the mitochondria. In a race you don't want that to happen, because the cumulative load in a race is much greater than in a training block, so you want to have minimum inflammation, so when you go the next day, you're ready to go.”

If tomorrow is go time and you want to perform your best, drink Amacx cherry juice.