The Effect of Pre-Exercise Ingestion of Pickle Juice, Hypertonic Saline, and Water on Aerobic Performance in College-Aged Males

Abstract

Pickle juice (PJ) is commonly ingested by athletes pre-exercise to prevent muscle cramps. Some scientists fear PJ may negatively impact performance due to its high sodium concentration. The purpose of this study was to determine if ingesting 2 mL*kg-1 body weight of PJ, hypertonic saline or deionized water (DIW) and 5 mL*kg-1 of DIW affected aerobic performance, core temperature, plasma volume changes or sweat volume. On three separate days, subjects rested for 65 minutes. During this period, two blood samples were taken and they ingested PJ, hypertonic saline, or DIW followed by 5 mL*kg-1 body mass of DIW. Subjects exercised at progressing intensities until complete exhaustion. No differences were observed between drinks for time to exhaustion, core temperature, plasma volume or sweat volume (P>0.05). Ingesting PJ or hypertonic saline diluted by a moderate amount of DIW does not impact aerobic performance, core temperature, plasma volume changes or sweat volume.