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Does Drinking Pickle Juice Help With Muscle Cramps?
- Athletes use pickle juice as an electrolyte replenishment to prevent muscle cramps.
- Pickle juice is rich in sodium and contains a small amount of potassium.
- Pickle juice isn’t a research-backed remedy for muscle cramp prevention.
Tennis champion Carlos Alcaraz made headlines left and right for winning Wimbledon, defeating seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. Some wonder how the young athlete overcame previous injuries as he struggled with severe leg cramps and was defeated by Djokovic at the French Open. According to the speculations of Wimbledon announcers, 22-year-old Alcaraz may have been following the remedy that his fellow athletes swear by to help prevent muscle cramps: pickle juice.
Yes, really, and this isn’t a new trend. Tennis star Frances Tiafoe, Philadelphia Eagles players and many athletes around the world drink or gargle shots of pickle juice in order to decrease the risk of muscle cramps and help them perform their best. But does this actually work? Here’s what we think about this briny solution.
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Pickle Juice Nutrition
First, here’s the nutrition breakdown of a 100-milliliter serving of pickle juice (about 3.4 ounces) from The Pickle Juice Company:
- 0 Calories
- 0 g Carbohydrates
- 0 g Dietary Fiber
- 0 g Total Sugar
- 0 g Protein
- 0 g Total Fat
- 342 mg Sodium
- 29 mg Potassium
Pickle Juice for Cramps
We can see why athletes take shots of pickle juice, based on this information. Pickle juice contains electrolytes like sodium and potassium, and electrolytes can help decrease the risk of muscle cramps. The study showed that drinking electrolyte-packed beverages was more effective in helping prevent muscle cramps than drinking water.
So while, yes, pickle juice may help decrease the risk of cramps when you drink it before exercise, due to its high amounts of electrolytes, it won’t necessarily relieve your already-existing muscle cramps. Plus, there’s something to keep in mind before you take a swig.
A 100-milliliter serving of pickle juice contains 343 milligrams of sodium, which is nearly 15% of your recommended daily intake of sodium. So if you’re looking to add pickle juice to your fitness routine, try to be mindful of your sodium intake throughout the day. If you consume too much salt, your body may experience negative symptoms like bloating, puffiness and headaches.
Our Expert Take
In general, pickle juice may lessen the risk of muscle cramps if you’re in need of an easy remedy. But if you’re already consuming too much salt in your diet—which is common for Americans—you may want to try focusing on other electrolytes by eating high-potassium foods like bananas, avocados and yogurt to prevent cramping instead.
