NatNews

It’s possible you’ve seen runners or other athletes drinking something one might not expect to be a first choice of hydration: pickle juice.

There have been a variety of different theories and studies regarding how pickle juice can benefit athletes, especially when it comes to cramping. Maddy Radtke, who works in sales and marketing for the Pickle Juice Company, said much of the use of pickle juice stems from an NFL game played between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in September 2000, when the Eagles were drinking pickle juice on the sidelines to help keep themselves hydrated and prevent muscle cramps because of the brutal Texas heat.

“What we did was take that idea of why they were going to that, and then we did a lot of extensive research and targeted a particular grain of vinegar as what was stopping those muscle cramps,” she said.

Radtke said the products created by Pickle Juice uses that grain of vinegar, as it targets neural inhibitors in the throat, essentially cutting the transmission from the brain to the cramp that tells it to seize up.

“It really is for cramping for any kind of athlete,” she said. “It’s most effective when used at the onset of the cramp. There’s naturally a lot of sodium, so drinking it after is more for a replenishment of electrolytes.”

Dallas resident Kevin Roberts said his first experience with pickle juice during exercise was when he took part in the Hotter’n Hell 100-mile bike ride in Wichita Falls, though he didn’t have any cramping issues on what he said was a typical hot day in August.

“Since then, I have taken pickle juice on longer rides on hot days, and it seems to help,” he said. “I also like the taste, so even if it doesn’t really provide much of a benefit, I feel it helps as much as any other sports drink.”

For Dallas resident Drew Mbiam, he said he first tried the Pickle Juice product when a sales representative attended a Pint Striders Thursday night run and convinced him to give it a shot. Regardless of how he feels about the taste, he said he noticed the benefits of drinking it.

“It helps with overall cramping and making faces for photos,” he said.

But there are certainly individuals who prefer not to make pickle juice part of their hydration options. Dallas resident Juliette Vielhauer said she has tried it at various races when it’s available but can’t quite stomach the taste, even though she likes pickles and eats them regularly. She said whether used because of the taste or potential benefits, pickle juice isn’t necessarily for everyone.

“I think that people have their own fitness journeys and should make that decision for themselves,” she said. “If someone is having consistent issues with cramping, I hope they know it’s an option. But if you’re a well hydrated person, you probably don’t need it.”

Not everyone in the medical field agrees with the theory that pickle juice truly helps athletes, though. And Radtke said drinks produced by the Pickle Juice Company don’t even contain actual pickle juice.

“We have nothing to do with pickles,” she said. “It’s the vinegar, and to create a familiar flavor, we added some dill oil, so that’s how we brand it as pickle juice. We’re actually running a campaign called ‘Save the Pickles,’ which encourages people to stop drinking the pickle brine out of the jar and letting those pickles dry out in there and, instead, drink our pickle juice.”

A recent study by Columbia University suggests that walking for 5 minutes every 30 minutes could offset the harmful effects of sitting for extended periods of time.

While 100 weeks is a long period of time, 100 years is an even longer stretch. Obviously. To celebrate the 100th edition of NatNews and honor a history-making individual as part of Black History Month, we’re spotlighting the Juanita J. Craft Park, which has been a part of the Dallas community since 1924. (It was originally called Wahoo Park but was renamed to honor the civil rights activist and civic leader in 1974.)

Included in her extensive lifelong efforts that created her legacy are more than 15 years of organizing 182 branches of the NAACP, becoming the first African American woman to vote in Dallas County in a public election, and serving on the Dallas City Council for two terms between 1975 and 1979.

Directly beside the Juanita J. Craft Park is the Juanita Jewel Craft Recreation Center, and just two miles away is the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House and Museum, which became open for tours to the public in May 2023.

Though Craft was an instrumental leader and influencer in the Dallas community throughout her lifetime, many individuals in the metroplex are unaware of the park named in her honor. Dallas resident Jenny Schultz, who is a mother of a toddler and a 4-month-old, is one of the only individuals in a recent research poll conducted who knew of the Juanita J. Craft Park, and this is only because Craft’s house was adopted as a signature project by the Junior League of Dallas, of which Schultz is a member.

“I hope to visit one day, but it is on the opposite side of town from me, so it will probably be when my kids get a bit older,” she said. “I think it is a huge deal that it is 100 years old. Dallas has not always been the best at historical preservation, and I am all for preserving what you can and improving what you need.”

While Schultz supports local parks and enjoys being able to spend time visiting them with her family, she said the city has some work to do in terms of making residents and visitors more aware of their existence and what they offer.

“I think Dallas finds it difficult to promote parks that don’t have private backing,” she said. “A huge example of this is Fair Park. I would guess most people don’t even realize it is open regular hours and not just during the fair and special events.”

The Juanita J. Craft Park is located at 4500 Spring Ave. and features a playground, football field, basketball court, pickleball and tennis courts, picnic tables, and walking path. More information on the local city parks can be found on the Dallas Park & Recreation Department website.

Individuals from the department failed to respond to requests for interviews, possibly because Leslie Knope is not in charge.

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

Some of the NatNews staff recently visited the Juanita J. Craft Park

Monday, February 12: Mavs vs. Wizards at the American Airlines Center
Tuesday, February 13: Fat Tuesday; Stars vs. Hurricanes at the American Airlines Center; Free Rooftop Movie — Crazy Rich Asians at Sundown at Granada
Wednesday, February 14: Murder Mystery Dinner at Drey Hotel
Thursday, February 15: Dallasites101 February Speed Dating & Singles Mixer at Happiest Hour
Saturday, February 17: WRRC Saturday run from Taco Joint; Dallasites101 Serve & Social at CitySquare; Grace Potter at Granada Theater; Brad Williams at the Majestic Theatre; Cornhole tournament at Community Beer Co.