The tradition & historical record
2 min read · 2 sourcesPickle juice is a mixture of water, vinegar, salt, and spices that is used to preserve food by pickling. It is often consumed by athletes to prevent or relieve muscle cramps. 1
The juice has been used by athletes in sports such as gridiron football, soccer, tennis, and ice hockey. NFL running back Rico Dowdle said he drank "five pickle juices" during a 2025 Carolina Panthers' game to relieve his cramps. Players for Brigham Young University reported that they consumed two and half gallons of pickle juice during a warm game in 2000 when they overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat the University of Virginia. A 2026 World Cup soccer match between the United States and Australia was paused when referee Felix Zwayer fell to the field in pain after he was overcome by muscle cramps. He drank a small bottle of pickle juice and then got up and resumed the game. Players drank so much juice in a 2000 NFL matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys that it was dubbed the "Pickle Juice Game". In 109 °F (43 °C) heat, Eagles players drank it from water bottles and beat the Cowboys 41-14. Blake Coleman, a forward for the New Jersey Devils hockey team, uses it to prevent cramps. "I really tried everything to figure out my cramps, but that's just the one thing that really works." Others wait until they have cramps. It also is a popular beverage in Turkey where it is consumed at social events and as a hangover remedy. 1
The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Pickle juice”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. 1
pickle juice is fluid of pickled vegetable, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. 2