November 2004

Jack Heath, Courtesy of Runners Gazette

It doesn’t come in Glacier, Lemon-Lime or Riptide Rush flavors yet, but the next time you are looking for a sports drink to stave off dehydration and cramps, you may want to reach past the Powerade or Gatorade in your refrigerator and grab a jar of pickle juice.That’s right-- pickle juice!

Trainers of many college and professional sports teams (including the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Eagles) are now passing out 2 oz shots of pickle juice to their athletes before warm weather games and practices. Some trainers say it’s the 600 mg of sodium that provides the benefits of reduced cramping and improved hydration. It is true that beverages with sodium cause fluid retention and that leads to better hydration. Some trainers and coaches say the vinegar in pickle juice is just the right concentration to restore electrolytes.

Some pickle juice aficionados even tout an unknown performance enhancing ingredient in the juice. Others just wonder if the main benefits are psychological.While looking for a competitive edge for our boys and girls cross-country team I decided to go to the source—local pickle purveyor KZ pickles in Camden New Jersey. Stu Taylor, the owner of KZ reminded me that fresh pickles are the best source of the beneficial elixir. “The juice replaces electrolytes-- processed pickles have more preservatives—our pickles will turn to mush much quicker, but I think the fresh juice is much better for you.”

So, armed with 3 quarts of pickles (and plenty of the owners anecdotes about the restorative/fountain of youth benefits of pickle juice-- from baseball pitchers (for blisters) to daily imbibers; I headed home to experiment. And yes, the owner did look to be 20 years younger than his professed age. Preserved in pickle juice I guess.

Our cross-country team said they noticed an increased ability to run in the heat in practice before the pickle juice ran out. No cramps and no sore muscles despite using it early in the season. (New Jersey cross-country season goes from tropically hot and steamy to biting cold in the flick of a switch.) I think pickle juice would be especially valuable for anyone running in the hot and poorly ventilated venues in indoor track.

Not sure about the taste? The San Francisco Giants have been known to mix pickle juice with a little water and sugar to make it more palatable to their players.

Runners with high blood pressure may want to check with their doctors before drinking pickle juice because of the high sodium content. I would advise anyone curious to experiment with pickle brine before a practice and not a race to see if it agrees with you.

Soon you may be wondering what do with all of those left over pickles in the jar.