Should we swap in our pre-workout power drinks for a cup of pickle juice? While it sounds like something out of a bet, apparently drinking pickle juice can be good for your health and is maybe something you should actually consider doing. A study at the North Dakota State University found that pickle juice “inhibits electrically induced muscle cramps in hypohydrated humans” which basically means that your muscles will love you for grabbing some pickle juice, even if your taste buds do not.
The study found that cramps from working out last over half a minute less if you down some pickle juice.
The part of pickle juice which is actually good for you is called pickle brine, and is usually composed of salts, sugars and vinegars. The vinegar in pickle juice is often thought to be the part which is of use to athletes, because it makes our muscles realize that they should stop flexing and therefore stop cramping.
Recipes for the pickle brine are readily available on many typical D.I.Y websites if you want to make your own, or just want to know a little more specifically what exactly you are drinking in order to avoid post-workout cramps.
Stopping cramps isn’t the only thing that pickle juice is good for. If you have enough pickle juice, it is thought to be able to combat dehydration as well. Active published an article in which it suggested both this, and that pickle juice can help “metabolize carbohydrates and fats.” Overall, if you can stomach drinking a bit of pickle juice, it seems like it could make a difference in how you feel post- workout.
If you don’t want to drink the juice straight out of the can in your fridge, there are companies which sell pickle juice specifically for post-workout purposes, such as The Pickle Juice Company.
Whatever version of the new trend works for you, it seems worth a try to get a little less pain and a little more progress out of your workout.
(H/T: Insider)