Phenolic compounds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and may prevent inflammation and oxidative stress as well as help the athletes to recover from exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Tart cherry (TC) and pomegranate (PG) are two fruits with high content of polyphenols. Their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have recently attracted substantial interest for their potential to reduce strength loss and promote recovery from EIMD. The aims of this review are (1) to summarise the effects of tart cherry and pomegranate supplementation on oxidative stress, inflammation and recovery, and (2) to outline the differences found in supplementation with tart cherries or pomegranates. SPORTDiscus, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus were searched according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis and 25 studies were included. The existing evidence suggests that both types of supplementation are good strategies to accelerate recovery of functional performance variables, perceptual variables and inflammation but PG supplementation shows better recovery of oxidative stress. However, positive effects are more likely: 1) when supplementation starts some days before muscle damage is induced and finishes some days after, for a total period of at least 8/10 days, 2) with pronounced muscle damage of the muscles involved, and 3) when total phenolic content is at least 1000 mg/day. This review may help to optimise TC or PG supplementation practice to improve post-exercise recovery.
The objective of this study was to determine if the addition of post-activity antioxidants is a useful strategy for improving the specific analytical parameters related to oxidative stress and inflammation. The study was carried out in an Italian Serie A soccer team, between October, 2019 and January, 2020. In October, the measurements were carried out on the players without having taken post-activity antioxidant supplementation. The intervention period corresponded from the end of October to the beginning of January, a period in which post- activity antioxidants were supplemented. The results obtained confirmed that the players who took antioxidants during the intervention period in the form of a mixture of a natural pineapple smoothie with a concentrate of tart cherry, pomegranate, black currant and beet in stick form, significantly improved the parameters associated with oxidative stress, although a significant improvement in the parameters related to inflammation was not observed. The use of antioxidants for a period of seventy days is a post-activity intervention strategy that can be considered effective for improving the reduction of parameters related to the oxidative effect derived from the practice of physical exercise at a professional level in soccer, although more studies are needed to determine the anti-inflammatory effect. Resumen. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar si la inclusión de antioxidantes post-actividad es una estrategia útil para mejorar los parámetros analíticos específicos relacionados con el estrés oxidativo y la inflamación. El estudio se llevó a cabo en un equipo de fútbol de la Serie A italiana, entre octubre de 2019 y enero de 2020. En octubre, las mediciones se llevaron a cabo en los jugadores sin haber tomado la suplementación antioxidante post-actividad. El periodo de intervención correspondió desde finales de octubre hasta principios de enero, periodo en el que se suplementaron los antioxidantes post-actividad. Los resultados obtenidos confirmaron que los jugadores que tomaron antioxidantes durante el periodo de intervención en forma de una mezcla de un licuado de piña natural con un concentrado de cereza ácida, granada, grosella negra y remolacha en forma de stick, mejoraron significativamente los parámetros asociados al estrés oxidativo, aunque no se observó una mejora significativa en los parámetros relacionados con la inflamación. El uso de antioxidantes durante un periodo de setenta días es una estrategia de intervención post-actividad que puede considerarse eficaz para mejorar la reducción de los parámetros relacionados con el efecto oxidativo derivado de la práctica de ejercicio físico a nivel profesional en el fútbol, aunque se necesitan más estudios para determinar el efecto antiinflamatorio.
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