Pickle juice: the anti-cramp wellness trend

After Kieran Trippier went down injured in England's opening game at Euro 2024, the defender stretched his leg out and necked a sachet of… pickle juice.

The latest wellness trend "might sound disgusting", said the BBC, but Gareth Southgate's Three Lions are using it to "combat cramp in players" this summer – and they are not alone.

What is pickle juice?

The "unpalatable-sounding" drink is "similar to the liquid inside your jar of pickled onions or gherkins", said The Times. But the "tart tipple" has many benefits "if you can stomach it".

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Some testers who tasted it for The Sun definitely couldn't stomach pickle juice, with one describing it as "really salty" and "gross", adding: "It leaves my mouth feeling like I have swallowed a blended McDonald's burger." But another said the juice was "tasty".

How does it work?

The biggest benefit for athletes is that pickle juice has been found to stop cramping 40% faster than drinking water.

Although the juice contains sodium, potassium and vinegar, which could replace the salts athletes have lost, it is "actually something different which makes it effective", said the BBC. When drunk, pickle juice "triggers a reflex in the mouth which sends a signal to stop muscles from cramping". 

So although the "salty potion" might "sound a bit bonkers", said the Daily Mail, there is a "method to the madness".

It is also low in calories and contains vitamin C and potassium. The "other thing it provides is a dose of probiotics, the healthy bacteria that can improve gut health", sports nutritionist Rob Hobson told The Times. 

Who uses it?

Pickle juice has been used in tennis for some time, with Wimbledon men's champion Carlos Alcaraz knocking it back during his five-set victory over Novak Djokovic last summer. The BBC said as far back as 2019 that athletes were "turning to an unusual drink" to "boost performance".

How should I drink pickle juice?

Florence Cherruaultis, founder of "swanky" brand The Pickle House, said pickle juice can be more than "leftover brine". Her signature Original Pickle Juice is brewed for 18 weeks with sliced cucumbers and spices, and promises to be "both sweet and savoury".

Due to the high salt content, it's recommended you only drink around 80ml – or 1/3 of a cup, said the Daily Mail. But the "strong flavour" makes it a "great option" to mix with fruit juices and bitters for a mocktail, or with soda as an alternative to spirits.

But if you simply cannot get your head or your stomach around pickle juice, you might want to explore other trending drinks like blackcurrant extract, tart cherry juice, and apple cider vinegar, which promise a range of health benefits from better sleep to lower blood pressure.