Winter recovery: cloudy apple juice for cold-weather athletes

As the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics continue, a study highlights that cloudy apple juice can be a simple, effective recovery drink for those training or competing in cold, high-intensity environments.

The peer-reviewed study, published in the international journal Nutrients, found that while added sugars can have a negative impact on the intestinal barrier after exercise, the naturally occurring sugars and polyphenols (plant compounds) found in fruit juice seem to support a more balanced recovery.

These findings are particularly relevant for winter sports athletes, where cold weather can put extra stress on the body, affecting muscles, gut health, and immune function.

While it’s common to reach for a sugary sports drink during or after exercise, scientists have known for some time that added sugars can cause problems with the intestinal barrier – a critical part of our immune defence. A leaky intestinal barrier can lead to harmful bacteria crossing from the gut into the blood, which stimulates inflammation. This, then, increases the risk of overtraining syndrome and metabolic conditions such as endotoxemia, where the body has a toxic reaction to bacteria.

The study, led by Prof Dr Dr Patrick Diel, was set up to find out whether fruit juices caused the same inflammatory effect as sugar-sweetened drinks.

The researchers looked at the gut health of athletes before and after an ultramarathon. They compared the impact of drinking diluted cloudy apple juice with a test drink that mimicked a typical sugary sports drink. This contained identical amounts of sugar but not the polyphenols and other fruit complexes naturally found in juice.

The researchers found that, while both exercise and sugars can disrupt the intestinal barrier, the natural compounds found in fruit juice eased these effects*. Athletes who drank the cloudy apple juice after the race recovered their intestinal barrier function more quickly than those who drank the sugar-sweetened test drink¹.

Another part of the study on amateur athletes found that drinking diluted cloudy apple juice after running influenced a protein called CD14, suggesting that the juice supported the body’s immune system.1 Furthermore, the study showed that athletes who drank fruit juice reduced their stress markers more quickly compared with those who drank the sugar-sweetened test drink.

Award-winning dietitian, Dr Carrie Ruxton, said: “For those training in cold weather or feeling inspired by the Winter Olympics, our bodies need healthy carbohydrates to recover properly after exercise, particularly in harsher conditions. In light of these findings, I would encourage athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and casual gym-goers to add around 150 ml of cloudy apple juice to their sports bottle and top it up with tap water for a low-cost and effective sports drink. Not only will this mixture keep us hydrated, but it also provides energy-giving natural sugars and polyphenols to promote optimal recovery.”

As with any dietary change, it is important to drink juice in moderation and as part of a balanced diet. However, these studies suggest that when it comes to supporting the body after a winter Olympic-inspired workout, cloudy apple juice is the perfect health hack.

¹Valder, S. et al. Effect of Sugar- and Polyphenol-Rich, Diluted Cloudy Apple Juice on the Intestinal Barrier after Moderate Endurance Exercise and in Ultra-Marathon Runners. Nutrients 2024, 16, 1353. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16091353