Cherry Gel Supplementation Does Not Attenuate Subjective Muscle Soreness or Alter Wellbeing Following a Match in a Team of Professional Rugby Union players: A Pilot Study.

This study examined the effects of sour tart cherry juice (TC) on muscle soreness (MS) and wellbeing following a rugby union match in professional players. In a crossover design, 10 players from a senior squad in the top tier of England consumed either 2 × 30 mL servings of TC or an isocaloric cherry-flavoured control gel (CON) two days before, the day of, and two days following an 80 min match. Subjective wellbeing and MS were measured before the match (Pre), and for three days following the match (M+1, M+2, and M+3, respectively).

Enhancement of Exercise Capacity in the Heat With Repeated Menthol-Spray Application.

Exercise performance is impaired in the heat, and a contributing factor to this decrement is thermal discomfort. Menthol spraying of skin is one means of alleviating thermal discomfort but has yet to be shown to be ergogenic using single-spray applications. The authors examined whether repeated menthol spraying could relieve thermal discomfort, reduce perception of exertion, and improve exercise performance in hot (35°C), dry (22% relative humidity) conditions, hypothesizing that it would.