English footballers' secret weapon: Pickle juice for muscle cramps
The Euro 2024 final is approaching rapidly. As reported by the BBC, the mixture that drives English footballers is "pickle juice." What is the mysterious drink their doctor gave to the English team?
4:29 PM EDT, July 14, 2024
The excitement surrounding the upcoming European Championship final in football is growing. Both the English and the Spaniards are already preparing for the last and most important match. According to the BBC, one of the secrets to the good form of English footballers is a certain mixture. "Pickle juice" is undoubtedly in their doctor's bag.
The secret of the form of English footballers
"Pickle juice," which is consumed by English footballers. However, it has nothing to do with cucumbers. But let's start from the beginning.
The buzz around the mysterious mixture given to English footballers began during a match against Serbia. Then, defender Kieran Trippier left the field with an injury at the end of the second half. Cameras captured the moment he stretched his leg, and the team doctor handed him a tube with something to swallow. The British media speculated whether the footballer received electrolytes. It turned out to be "pickle juice."
This juice's ingredients include double-filtered water, salt, organic vinegar, dill oil, tapioca starch, rosemary extract, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc. Why does the English team doctor give it to the footballers?
Dietitian explains
Dr. Damian Parol, a dietitian and psycho-dietitian with a bodybuilding instructor license, explained in an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza how "pickle juice" works.
- Drinking pickle juice is about preventing or treating muscle cramps that occur during intense exertion, - he stated.
- It may be surprising, but we do not fully know the answer to the question of where these cramps come from. We only know that the popular magnesium does not work in this context, - he explained.
He added, "We have evidence that substances with a sharp or bitter taste can reduce the risk of cramps or shorten their duration." For this reason, footballers opt for pickles with vinegar rather than the brine in which pickled cucumbers float.
