Pickle Juice: Magic Elixir or Money Grab? What the Research Says About Cramps and Hydration

Beth Jones Author

Can we talk about pickle juice for a moment? The tales of this magical elixir come around about every 5-10 years. I know that it was a big thing back in the 2010s, and it seems to be back.

First, let me be transparent. I hate pickles. In fact, pickle juice was how my student athletes found out that I was pregnant. One of my student athletic trainers had obtained a vat of pickle juice from her stepfather, who happened to own a Burger King franchise, and kept it in the training room refrigerator. Every time the jar was opened, the smell caused extreme nausea and sent me reeling. The guesses about my expecting came soon after.

But I digress…

The question at hand is - is pickle juice actually helpful for either muscle cramps or dehydration?

The answer might surprise you.

This blog comes after two recent occurrences. 

1. the teen rowers at a nutrition workshop I did were asking me about its effectiveness. 
2. A Facebook post I just read about an unfortunate occurrence with an elite, teen tennis player who was transported to the ER for extreme dehydration during a match - despite being "hydrated" with pickle juice, water, and electrolytes.

The praises for pickle juice have been around for decades, but a few years ago I finally dove into the research to see if it was worth investing in these hydration products, or even keeping the dregs from the pickle jar around. Here’s what I found.

Yes, there is a benefit to pickle juice for acute muscle cramping. But, no more than 1-2 ounces. That’s it.

What that means is if you’re experiencing a muscle cramp, drinking a few tablespoons of pickle juice might help to relieve the cramping. This is due to the high concentration of sodium and vinegar. But some research has even found that it’s not even the absorption of the sodium that helps (which would make sense from a physiological level as some muscle cramps are due to a sodium imbalance). Instead, the leading theory is that it’s a response from the body because of the vinegar in pickle juice - there is a calming, relaxation reflex that is triggered when the vinegar hits some nerves in the back of the throat. For me, this also makes sense because packets of mustard ran a close second to pickle juice for my teen athletes (mustard also contains high levels of vinegar).

So, if you want to carry around a small vial of pickle juice for cramps, go for it. But, for my time and money, I’m going to continue relying on stretching, massage and a little ice to help those cramps let go.

But what about pickle juice to help prevent or resolve dehydration??

The research here isn’t quite as promising for you pickle juice lovers, but not all negative either.

When it comes to hydration and looking at electrolyte (including sodium) levels, it really comes down to the goal for your hydration. Most of us just run to the store, grab a sports drink off the shelf and call it good, but the fact is that sports drinks can be broken down into 3 categories, depending on your hydration needs:

• Hypertonic drinks: high carbohydrate content. Ideal for post-training refueling, especially after hard training with a lot of sweat loss, and also sometimes good for intra-training fueling when more energy is needed (and not just pure hydration). Since these drinks focus more on refueling and carb content, they often contain very little sodium.

• Isotonic drinks: This is the closest to blood and what we commonly think of as “sports drinks”. Usually have a 6-8% carbohydrate solution, and lower sodium content of only 300-500mg per liter. This lower amount of sodium is actually ideal for rehydration for regular training and when intense heat or sweating isn’t a factor.

• Hypotonic drinks: Carb content should be less than 4-6g per 100ml (4-6%), but a higher sodium content of 500-1500 mg per liter. These drinks are best for when rehydration due to sweat loss is a priority, especially in hot and humid environments. It should be noted that these drinks usually do not contain enough calories to replenish energy and should be used in conjunction with food-based fueling.

Want more on this? Check out this great video from one of my instructors, Andy Blow from Precision Fuel & Hydration.

Pay attention to those sodium numbers. 

We know that sodium is a key factor in helping to rehydrate during activity and sweat loss, and also in preventing cramps. But, these drinks are formulated to replace what's lost in sweat. While sodium can be beneficial, too much at once can cause thirst, bloating, and stomach upset, and a high-sodium diet over time isn't great for blood pressure or kidney health. The upper daily limit of sodium for adults is 2300 mg per day, and is only 1800 mg per day for teens between the ages of 9-13. The amount of sweat loss in an individual on any given day can change (hard practice on hot days = more sweat loss), so these numbers may need to be adjusted depending on your teen’s particular circumstances.

Here’s the kicker - pure pickle juice (like you get from a jar) can have between 200mg per ounce (think your store-bought pickles, like Vlasic) - that’s close to 7000mg per liter! Compare that to the amounts in even the hypertonic drink that is designed for quick rehydration, and you can see that you could be getting sodium overload pretty quickly if you’re just relying on juice from the jar to combat dehydration. Especially for every day workouts and training, where high temperatures or excessive sweat loss isn’t a factor.

Best bets?

• Daily practice, 90-minute soccer game, frequent breaks (Isotonic): your basic store sports drink. Look for something with that 6% carbohydrate and 300-500 mg of sodium per liter. Don’t get the sugar free options - working bodies need those carbs!

• Intense workouts, outside in the heat or humidity, infrequent breaks (Hypotonic): opt for hypotonic drinks, such as Precision Fuel, Nuun Hydration, or even Pedialyte. Make sure the sodium content is at least 500mg per liter. Carb content should be less than 4g-6g per 100ml. This is when the low-sugar option of sports drinks paired with a quick-fuel snack is a great idea.

• Post intense workout in either hot environment or with high sweat levels (Hypertonic): opt for the hypertonic option to drink after training is over. These include flat, full-sugar soda (I know, not usually a first choice, but great for quick, carb replenishment), post-training shakes (high carbohydrate percentage, but protein is OK too), drinkable yogurt.

So the take-away is:

Straight pickle juice, and even the commercial products, shouldn’t be your first choice as a hydration drink. Even on those hot and high-intensity training days, there are better options for you that will actually work better with your body’s physiology to rehydrate and refuel.

For you die-hard pickle juice lovers, I think your safest bet is to buy the small, 2oz commercial pickle juice “shots” to have on hand should a muscle cramp arise - take advantage of that reflex we talked about earlier. Or better yet, save the juice from your jar & bring a few ounces along. Your stomach (and your wallet), will thank me.

Looking for some great DIY Isotonic, Hypotonic, & Hypertonic drink options? I’ve put together a simple guide to making your own sports drink, with 6 recipes (including a pickle version).

Have questions about how to prevent or handle muscle cramps, dehydration, or something similar? I’m happy to help! Just reply below or send me an email to beth@herathleteiq.com, and we can talk about what specific needs are best for your teen, or even yourself.

Sources:

• Reflex inhibition of electrically induced muscle cramps in hypohydrated humans (PubMed)

• Does pickle juice relieve muscle cramps? (The Cooper Institute)

• Different types of sports drink and when to use them (Precision Fuel & Hydration)

• Vlasic Whole Kosher Dill Pickles nutrition label (Martin's)

Categories: : nutrition, performance