You can use salt water or any of the performance drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade. But there is a concern because there is a general perception, especially among high school kids, that if a little of something is good, then a lot of something will be even better. This is not the case with pickle juice. One of several concerns is that too much consumption of pickle juice can simply make someone ill or further aggravate hypertensiveness or heart illness. Hypertension increases blood volume and consequently blood pressure.
Severe complications can result from too much pickle juice.
Significant weight loss, mostly due to dehydration, can come from extended physical activity in the heat. Monitoring an individual's weight loss and properly replenishing a drained body is Cal U's way of treatment, as opposed to guzzling sour juice. A great deal of the loss comes from water. We monitor weight loss very carefully here and do not allow any of our athletes back on the field or court unless they have gained back the weight they have lost. Cal's careful monitoring of weight loss and dehydration coupled with a sound conditioning program paid off for the Vulcan football team last weekend.