Introduction
Montmorency cherry (MC) can improve endurance performance in trained participants following chronic supplementation [1, 2]. However, optimal pre-exercise timing of acute supplementation and the effect of training status on efficacy is not known. We investigated the impact of training status and supplement timing on the effects of acute MC concentrate (MCC) supplementation on exercise economy and performance. 
Methods
Twenty participants (10 recreationally active (RA), 10 trained) completed a 10-minute steady state bout of exercise at 40%Δ (SSE), and a 15 km time trial (TT) on 4 separate occasions following consumption of a standardised breakfast (30.5 g carbohydrate) 90-minutes pre-exercise, and either no supplement (unsupplemented, US), or MCC supplementation 30-, 90- or 150-minutes pre-exercise (MCC30/90/150min). Venous blood samples were taken pre-supplement, pre-exercise and post-exercise; heart rate (HR) and capillary [lactate] pre- and post-SSE, and pre-, 5km, 10km, and post-TT. Muscle oxygenation was measured continuously by near-infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) during SSE and TT. Venous blood was analysed for [TNF𝛼] and [NO3-]. Data are presented as mean±SD and analysed by one-way repeated measures ANOVA.
Results
MCC significantly improved TT performance, but not SSE economy, with the greatest improvement in performance following MCC90min compared to US (US 1603.1±248 s vs MCC90min 1554.8±226.7 s, 2.8±3.8% improvement in performance; MCC30min: 1563.4±209.7 s, 2.1±4.3% improvement; MCC150min: 1587.3±267.2 s, 1.1±3.9% improvement; p=0.037, N=20) (figure 1a). Performance was significantly enhanced in trained (US 1496.6±173.1 s vs MCC90min 1466.8±157.6 s, N=10, p=0.005) but not RA participants (figure 1b). Capillary [lactate] (US 8.9±3.8 mmol.L-1 vs MCC90min 11.2±4.2 mmol.L-1 at 10 km, p=0.001, N=20) (figure 2) and HR (US 165±14 BPM vs MCC90min 170±15 BPM at 5 km p=0.009, N=2-; US 167±15 BPM vs MCC90min 172±14 BPM at 10 km, p=0.011, N=20) (figure 3) were significantly greater during TT for MCC90min. There was no significant difference between conditions in muscle oxygenation status (SSE tissue saturation index (TSI): US 61.6±8.7%, MCC30min 61.3±7.6%, MCC90min  61.3±7.5%, MCC150min 61.5±7.0%; TT TSI: US 63.0±8.2, MCC30min 61.3±8.2%, MCC90min 62.2±7.7%, MCC150min 62.6±7.9%, N=20) or plasma nitrate concentration (pre-supplement: MCC30min 27.4±15.8 μ.mol-1, MCC90min 30.3±12.6 μ.mol-1, MCC150min 36.8±15.4 μ.mol-1; pre-exercise: US 31.8±14.5 μ.mol-1, MCC30min 28.5±16.6 μ.mol-1, MCC90min 28.6±11.6 μmol-1, MCC150min26.5±12.7 μ.mol-1; post-exercise: US 25.3±17.9 μ.mol-1, MCC30min 30.7±17.3 μ.mol-1, MCC90min 33.2±11.8 μ.mol-1, MCC150min 30.6±14.0 μ.mol-1, N=20). 
Conclusion
This is the first study to show acute MC supplementation is ergogenic for endurance performance and determine the influence of pre-exercise supplement timing and training status. Optimal supplementation timing was 90 min pre-exercise, which is probably related to the peak in plasma phenolic metabolite concentrations that occurs 1-2 hours following consumption [3]. 
Only trained individuals, experienced significant performance benefits, likely due to greater inter- and intra-participant variability in TTTime for RA participants (RA: 3.7±5.5% vs Trained: 1.9±1.9%), and thus lower statistical power. Mechanisms underpinning ergogenic effects may be related to improved nitric oxide bioavailability increasing vasodilation [4], or perhaps more likely in light of the NIRS data, an anti-hyperalgesic effect induced by anti-inflammatory effects of phenolic metabolites[5].