I like pickles for hydration. They are basically zero calorie, savory, and pack a ton of salt. Most hydration stuff out there is sweet and on a long day sometimes you need something to break up the sweet fitness snacks.
this post was submitted on 08 Nov 2024
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What about water? It’s not sweet and it’s amazing for hydration.
I guess you’re not getting some electrolytes like salt, but you could add some.
Point of the pickle is for the electrolytes, not the water.
Fair.
Although, I do question whether people need be concerned about electrolytes, not throwing shade; genuinely curious.
I’ve worked in hot climates, ran marathons, etc and never felt the need for anything other than water, but I am happy to be humbled.
Same, though it definitely increases the amount of water you can carry internally and steadies the rate at which water leaves your system. Both can be useful in situations where you need to “camel” water more often.
Also beginner athletes’ ability to maintain electrolyte homeostasis can be erratic, leading to a “better safe than sorry” policy, and of course salt is the easiest way to make new athletes hydrate until they learn to self regulate. That’s all I can think of.
I sweat like crazy and if I need to be running for more than an hour I'm going to want something to drink. But if I'm running an ultra (or doing a very long hike, or bike packing) having variety in fuel sources is really good for your mental health.
A friend of mine hardly has to fuel during ultramarathons and I am very jealous.
Also shout out to trader Joe's for selling olives in little pouches. Also great for long days.
Edit: for those scientific people out there, salt isn't the only thing that helps you hydrate, sugar also helps bring those salts and water into your system. So when I make my own sports drink I use the WHO recipe for Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS). Which is really salty, but as stated above, I am a very sweaty boi.
Sugar also is fuel for running longer, so I don't see why not.
Yup, that was exactly the thing I was going to say.
The little convenience store nearest the gym I used to go to sold the hell out of them. When there was a road crew working in the area, we couldn't get them because they were always sold out.
When I started martial arts, there was a small batch of us that would stop at a different shop on the way in and grab a big pickle and a small beer for after class. That combination worked so good after a serious workout where you'd end up throwing up from the intensity. Which seems crazy, but it was way better than the usual drinks and snacks sold for replenishment.
Hrmm, could you, eh, drain my pickle ?
Sure thing, big papa
Gotta have that pickle on every commissary order to throw in the slam.
A true playa