Running News Daily

Maybe including pickles and pickle juice in your daily diet will help you as a runner?

While pickles are incredibly polarizing, those who like them really love them. And whether your favorite is a deli-counter dill or a few slices on a sandwich, it's hard to deny that pickles are surging in popularity right now. And for good reason—they're a healthy snack.

Lots of runners are eating pickles and drinking the juice regularly too.  Both Michael Anderson and Bob Anderson from My Best Runs have included pickles in their regular daily diet.  "Pickle juice gives me extra oomph," says Michael Anderson who has been running for over 40 years.  "The juice is perfect to add to a water bottle for runs over one hour.  Also it really helps me with recovery helping with cramping and hydration."  Michael is currently running about 40 miles per week. 

"Michael turned me on to the benefits of drinking pickle juice and eating pickles.  I have always loved pickles but now I include both in my daily diet,” says My Best Runs director and lifetime runner Bob Andeson. 

"For sure it helps with recovery but also it is helping me get closer to my ideal racing weight.  It might be partially mental but it seems to work.  I just feel heathlier including pickles/juice in my daily diet."  71 year-old Bob Anderson is currently training on average 35 miles weekly and racing at sub 8 minute/mile pace. 

So what about this juice? Here's everything you need to know about the brine and all the reasons why you should be drinking it.

1. It can relieve muscle cramping.

Pickle juice has been proven to ease muscle aches and pains. Drinking the stuff after workouts became so popular at one time that Gatorade nearly launched its own version of the briny stuff.

2. Taking pickle-back shots is crazy fun.

If you've never had one of these, you aren't living. Outside of dancing on a table, it's quite possibly the silliest thing you'll ever do at a bar but it's one of those kitschy, "Southern" gimmicks that you have to try at least once. Who knows, maybe you'll learn to love them and get all your friends on board, too.

3. It keeps you hydrated for longer.

Sipping plain water is great, but a drink that contains both sodium and potassium is ideal because it will help you get hydrated faster and remain that way. They're both electrolytes that you lose when you sweat and pickle juice contains them both.

4. It's very budget-friendly.

Pickle juice can replace expensive, sugary sports drinks. And sometimes it's even free if you keep a jar of pickles in the fridge. You can even make your own by pickling cucumbers in vinegar, garlic, and salt.

5. It's more readily available than ever.

If your main argument against drinking pickle juice is that you'd have to do so out of the jar, then you have no more excuses. The briny stuff is now available in canned form for your convenience.

6. It's vitamin- and antioxidant-rich.

Pickle juice contains a decent amount of antioxidants and vitamins C and E, which help boost your immune system function, among other health-boosting roles in your body.

7. It can help you lose weight.

According to a study from Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, consuming vinegar—the main ingredient in pickle juice—every day can promote healthy weight loss.

8. It keeps your blood sugar regulated.

So instead of dumping that leftover liquid from your pickle jar down the drain, consider saving it for future use.

You might even find yourself enjoying the salty flavor. Things can taste differently after you exercise than they do normally. So even if pickle juice doesn’t sound amazing right now, maybe it will hit the spot after your next workout.

Even if you don’t ever love the taste, you may end up deciding that drinking pickle juice is worth it for the health benefits.

(05/17/2019) Views: 2,190 ⚡AMP