My wife’s family is from southern West Virginia we’re summers are hot and humid. According to my wife, her granny used to administer pickle juice to remedy heat-related muscle cramps.
A few months ago I was lying in bed when I was beset by the worst muscle cramps I’ve ever had. They extended from my butt to my ankles in both legs. And they lasted for over 15 minutes.
Seeing me in agony my wife ran and got me a banana. In between excruciating spasms o managed to eat it but the cramps continued. Next she brought out the heavy artillery. She gave me a shot glass worth of pickle juice. Damned if it didn’t work like a charm.
A couple of days ago, I rode to a local bike shop in search of electrolyte tablets for my bike tour. Next to tablets in the shelf in the store was this:
I bought two bottles.
As a trial, I drank some pickle juice from a jar in our refrigerator after yesterday’s ride. It tastes wretched but I’ll do anything to avoid mega cramps like I had last year.
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 
In my running group, we all used to carry pickle juice in one of our bottles on long runs, and I carried it on the 2000 Marine Corps Marathon, when the temps spiked in the high 70s (argh!) I was slowed down but didn’t cramp thanks to pickle juice. Glad the secret is still spreading.
I used to run 70 miles a week and nobody ever once mentioned pickle juice. Maybe that was because I was in Rhode Island at the time and the weather rarely became oppressive.
70 miles a week? DAMN – no wonder you ran a low 3 hour Boston Marathon!
Pickle juice has been a thing for a few years. I’ve been on organized rides that had cups of it out on the tables at the rest stops. My sister drank the brine whenever we finished a jar of dill pickles, so she was about 65 years ahead of the trend. I use Clif Bloks (margarita flavor, which is tasty & higher in sodium than the other flavors) to stave off cramps – easy to carry and you can let them melt in your mouth, which helps dry mouth on a climb when you don’t want to drink.
I was on a bike event ride in another state and they had pickle juice out at the rest stops. I had never seen it offered before and thought they were pulling my leg. But, as you said, it helps people!
This pickle juice thing is totally new to me. How much juice? An ounce?
I think they had small cups of it on the table.
Wow, pickle juice in a portable container. What will they think of next. Is this JUST pickle juice, or have they added extra ingredients? I would just get one of those small Nalgene bottles from REI and reuse it with juice straight from the pickle jar.
The bottle lists a bunch of ingredients but basically it’s pickle juice with some added potassium, vitamins C and E, and zinc
what kind of pickle juice is it? Dill, sweet, half sour, garlic? I get nocturnal leg cramps in my calves and feet which I attribute to my leukemia drug. I never had them before I started the drug, but my oncologist thinks they are not related. I tried tonic water – a big glass at bedtime. But the 70 year old prostate tells me a few hours later that isn’t such a great idea.
I don’t know but I doubt it matters.