Pickle juice: The secret weapon propelling England to Euro 2024 final
The Euro 2024 final is approaching rapidly. According to the BBC, the mixture that fuels English players is "pickle juice." What exactly is the mysterious drink provided to the English by their doctor?
The excitement surrounding the upcoming final of the European Football Championship is growing. The English and the Spanish are already preparing for the last and most important match. According to the BBC, a mixture is one of the secrets to English players' good form. "Pickle juice" is undoubtedly in the team doctor’s bag today.
The secret of English players' form
"Pickle juice," English players drink, is called pickle brine in Polish. However, it has nothing to do with that in reality. But let’s start from the beginning.
The buzz about the mysterious mixture given to English players began during the match against Serbia. Defender Kieran Trippier left the field at the end of the second half due to an injury. Cameras captured the moment he stretched his leg, and the team doctor handed him a tube with something to swallow. British media speculated whether the player received electrolytes. As it turned out, it was "pickle juice."
The ingredients of such juice include double-filtered water, salt, organic vinegar, dill oil, tapioca starch, and rosemary extract. Additionally, it contains potassium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc. Why does the team doctor give it to the players?
Nutritionist explains
Dr. Damian Parol, a nutritionist and psycho-dietitian with a bodybuilding instructor licence, explained the workings of "pickle juice."
- Drinking pickle juice is about preventing or treating muscle cramps that occur during intense efforts - he stated.
It might be surprising, but we don’t completely know where these cramps come from. What we do know for sure is that popular magnesium does not work in this context, he explained.
He added, "we have evidence that substances with sharp or bitter tastes can reduce the risk of cramps or shorten their duration." This is why players reach for vinegar-based brine rather than the saline brine in which pickles swim.
