Among other pro athletes, three-time Tour winner and current World Champion Tadej Pogačar has been downing a mysterious, dark drink immediately after finishing a race. This is what it is.
The first thing the World Champion grabs after a race (and I mean the first thing) is a dark red bottle.
What could it be? I wanted to know and went on a mission to find out. And we did.
Cherries. Really.
Over the past few years, Pogačar’s recovery drink has been one of the most guarded secrets in professional sports. It revolves around one of the simplest ingredients: cherries—but not just any cherry…
I’ve been obsessed with the mysterious dark red drink for two years. It’s not in a branded bottle, and the empties are whisked away. It seemed like secret performance magic.
At the Tour a couple years ago, I texted NBC’s Christian Vande Velde, who was covering the race on a motorbike:
“When do you get to the finish line today? Are you there right when they finish?”
“Should be, what’s up?” he replied.
“I need you to figure out the red drink Tadej drinks after every stage. There is no branding; it’s just in a plastic bottle.”
Christian: “On it”
[Later]
Christian: “I tried, no luck. They are so secretive, he doesn’t even throw it away, someone from the team takes the empty bottle from him.”
The mystery deepened when I spotted the same unmarked bottles with Jannik Sinner at major tennis tournaments over the past year.
I figured out what it was, and now it's as commonplace among the pros as anything.
Cracked the Code
It’s Enervit Magic Cherry.
This isn’t just another recovery drink. It’s a revolution in a sachet.
Enervit Magic Cherry has European Tart Cherry extract delivered in its most potent form, with 300mg of polyphenols and 50mg of anthocyanins per serving.
No sugar. No sweeteners. Zero calories. Just pure recovery power.
The taste? Not sweet, not bitter. “Refreshing” is the word most used. But you’re not drinking it for flavor. You’re drinking it for what happens next.
The magic happens at the cellular level.
The Vistula cherry variety (a special protected European tart cherry) delivers an unprecedented concentration of bioactive compounds that:
Neutralize circulating reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species from intense exercise
Activate your body’s antioxidant enzymes
Inhibits a primary driver of inflammation
Enhances muscle oxygenation (improving both recovery AND performance)
Studies show these compounds significantly reduce numerous post-exercise inflammation markers compared to a placebo.
Your muscles recover faster. Pain dissipates quicker. You’re ready sooner.
Simple to Use. Revolutionary Results.
For daily training: 1 sachet with water immediately post-workout.
For significant events: 1 sachet daily for 5 days before, then 2-3 days after.
Watch the top cyclists at the Tour – they’re obsessive about timing, consuming it within minutes of dismounting their bikes. There’s a reason.
Unlike common cherry concentrates (60% sugar) or juices (40-53% sugar), Magic Cherry uses CherryCraft’s full-spectrum extraction technology to eliminate sugars while concentrating the polyphenols up to 40x more than generic extracts.
You know it works when the world’s most meticulous athletes guard something this closely.
More Ways to Get Your Cherry Fix
Magic Cherry isn't the only tart cherry option worth your attention. If a sachet mixed in water isn't your style, here's what else made the cut.
Amacx Cherry Juice+: Ready-to-drink and standardized to 125mg of anthocyanins per 500ml bottle — the same triple-source approach (tart cherry, elderberry, blackcurrant) that's already trusted by riders on Visma-Lease a Bike's nutrition program. You get 30g of carbs and full rehydration in the same bottle, so recovery, glycogen replenishment, and fluid loss get handled in one shot. Drink it immediately post-effort, or load in daily for 4-7 days before a big race.
Cheribundi Tart Cherry Juice Pure Concentrate: No blends, no additions — just 100% tart cherry juice concentrated for double-strength potency. It comes in grab-and-go 2.5oz pouches or a 32oz multi-serve bottle for daily use, and it's become a staple for over 2,000 pro and collegiate teams. Drink it post-workout or 20 minutes before bed if you're chasing the sleep benefits.
Dream Shot: This one's built for the other side of recovery: sleep. Dream Shot combines tart cherry juice with Magtein magnesium, glycine, L-theanine, ashwagandha, and PeptiSleep to hit all three phases of sleep — falling asleep, staying asleep, and reaching deep, restorative rest. One 2oz shot, 30-60 minutes before bed. Now available in a no-sugar version if you're watching carbs at night.
Amacx Cherry Gummy+: Same standardized 125mg anthocyanin dose as Amacx's Cherry Juice+, just without the 500ml of liquid. Built for travel days, stage races, or anytime a bottle isn't practical. Informed Sport certified, and easy to stash in a race kit for a post-effort or pre-bed dose.
Whichever format fits your routine, the science underneath is the same: tart cherry's anthocyanins go to work on inflammation and oxidative stress right when your body needs it most.
Reference links:
Tart cherry extract reduces oxidative stress
