Tart Cherry Complex sour cherry

Sour cherry for athletes: what is Tart Cherry Complex?

Tart Cherry Complex is Crown Sport Nutrition’s antioxidant for the most demanding phases of the season: a concentrate of anthocyanins from three European red fruits to support recovery when training is at its heaviest. Each sachet combines 1,000 mg of European Vistula sour cherry extract, 500 mg of black elderberry extract and 500 mg of blackcurrant extract, providing a total of 160 mg of anthocyanins and 288 mg of polyphenols.

It comes as a powder: mix one sachet with water and in seconds you have a drink with a very pleasant red fruit flavour and texture. Every batch is Informed Sport certified.

What is tart cherry used for?

Sour cherry, also called tart cherry, has been widely studied in athletes. The International Society of Sports Nutrition’s 2026 position stand recognises it as a dietary antioxidant with evidence of potential benefits for recovery and performance. Meta-analyses in athletes have observed:

Faster recovery of strength after intense efforts.

A lower inflammatory response after exercise.

Less muscle soreness in the days following demanding training or competition.

That is why it is most relevant at specific times: competition weeks, heavy training blocks, tournaments and stage races, or when there is little recovery time between sessions.

What are anthocyanins and what do they do?

Anthocyanins are natural pigments in the polyphenol group. They give fruits such as cherries, blackcurrants and elderberries their red, purple or almost black colour: the more intense the colour, the more anthocyanins the fruit tends to contain. In plants, they protect against sunlight and other environmental stresses.

In the body, they act as antioxidants and influence the signals through which muscle responds to oxidative stress and inflammation. They also support blood flow and blood vessel function. That makes them of interest in sport: intense exercise increases oxidative stress and muscle inflammation, and research links anthocyanins to faster recovery, less soreness and improved endurance performance after several days of intake.

Each fruit provides its own anthocyanin profile. Tart Cherry Complex brings together three fruits particularly rich in them:

European Vistula sour cherry · CherryCraft® 1,000 mg

What it is: sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) is a different variety from the sweet table cherry: smaller, intensely red and tart, mainly consumed as juice or dried fruit. The Vistula variety is grown in Poland, along the River Vistula.

What it does: this is the fruit most extensively studied for sports recovery. Meta-analyses in athletes have observed faster recovery of strength and a lower inflammatory response after intense exercise. With the Vistula variety, Northumbria University found that its compounds reach the bloodstream after intake and, in marathon runners, a 7-day loading period was associated with a lower inflammatory marker during recovery.

European blackcurrant · CurrantCraft® 500 mg

What it is: blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) is the almost black berry of a European shrub, very rich in anthocyanins and also known for its natural vitamin C content. Tart Cherry Complex uses the Blackdown variety, grown in France’s Loire Valley.

What it does: it is the anthocyanin source most extensively studied for sports performance. After 7 days of intake, improvements in a cycling time trial and less muscle soreness after intense exercise have been observed.

European black elderberry · ElderCraft® 500 mg

What it is: black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is a shrub widespread in Europe, whose dark purple berries are traditionally used in syrups and jams. It is one of the fruits richest in anthocyanins: its extract is the most concentrated in the formula.

What it does: it reinforces the anthocyanin content of each sachet. Human research has mainly focused on the immune system: in a study with 312 air travellers, an elderberry extract from the same manufacturer was associated with shorter colds and fewer symptoms.

All three extracts are obtained through membrane ultrafiltration, a mechanical process without chemical solvents, and are standardised in every batch to guarantee their anthocyanin and polyphenol content.

When and how should I take tart cherry?

Consistency is key: studies with positive results start 4–7 days before the effort and continue for 48–72 hours afterwards. One box of 10 sachets covers a complete protocol.

1 sachet a day dissolved in 150 ml of water; 2 sachets on the heaviest training days.

After training or before bed: both are good times to help you remember every dose.

For multi-day competitions: take it every day throughout the event.

Part of the After protocol: recovery during your heaviest training weeks. Combine it with 3:1 Recovery+ after each session to replenish glycogen and protein.

Informed Sport anti-doping certification

Every batch of Tart Cherry Complex is tested by the independent LGC laboratory against the WADA list of prohibited substances before it goes on sale. For an athlete subject to doping controls, this means taking it with the reassurance of knowing exactly what is in every sachet.

The science of taking you further.