What's in it, and why.

A field tool, backed by real research. Acid first, salts behind it.

The research, by topic.

Peer-reviewed work on hydration, electrolyte balance and pickle brine. Each paper says what it supports and what it doesn’t. Tap any topic to read the studies.

  • In a lab study, cramps ended 37% sooner after a small dose of pickle brine than after water (Miller, 2010).
  • Each stick has 700mg of sodium, about 40 minutes of sweat for a lot of athletes. Sweat varies widely between people (ACSM).
  • Across studies, 14 to 41% of runners cramp during a single ultramarathon. It's common, but most runners don't.
Browse the research library 18 papers, 7 topics
Acetic acid and pH What the literature says about sour taste and neuromuscular signaling.
6
  1. Miller KC, et al. Reflex inhibition of electrically induced muscle cramps in hypohydrated humans. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010;42(5):953–961. PubMed Supports: a fast neural route for brine. Electrically induced cramp, hypohydrated active men, n≈10, about 1mL per kg body mass. Does not: test powder, our dose, or cramp brought on by exercise.
  2. Miller KC, et al. Electrolyte and plasma responses after pickle juice, mustard, and deionized water ingestion in dehydrated humans. J Athl Train. 2014;49(3):360–367. PubMed Supports: small brine doses barely move blood electrolytes, which argues the mechanism is not replacement. Does not: measure cramping, and does not test a powder.
  3. Georgieva J, et al. Mouth rinsing vs ingestion of pickle juice for alleviating electrically induced muscle cramps. Appl Sci. 2021;11(24):12096. Link Supports: a comparison of rinsing against swallowing, which is the question of whether the mouth matters. Does not: involve exercise, our format, or a field setting.
  4. Marosek SEH, Antharam V, Dowlatshahi K. Quantitative analysis of the acetic acid content in substances used by athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2020;34(6):1539–1546. PubMed Supports: that acetic acid content varies widely between the brines and vinegars athletes reach for. Does not: test any effect on cramping.
  5. Alawi K, et al. The pharmacology of TRPV1 activation by low pH. J Dent Res. 2010 (review). PubMed Supports: background on how acidity activates a receptor. Review, not an experiment. Does not: involve athletes, ingestion, or cramping.
  6. DeSimone JA. Sour taste transduction and intracellular acidification. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2006 (review). PubMed Supports: how sour is sensed at all. Foundational, not applied. Does not: connect sour taste to muscle or to any product.
TRP channels The receptors that respond to acid and capsaicin.
2
  1. Craighead DH, et al. Ingestion of TRP channel agonists attenuates exercise-induced muscle cramps. Muscle Nerve. 2017;56(3):379–385. PubMed Supports: TRP agonists as a category, in an exercise-induced cramp model. Does not: test acetic acid, our ingredients, or our dose.
  2. Behringer M, Nowak S, Leyendecker J, Mester J. Effects of TRPV1 and TRPA1 activators on the cramp threshold frequency: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2017;117(8):1641–1647. Link Supports: a randomized, placebo-controlled look at TRP activation and how easily a cramp can be triggered. Does not: test brine, powder, or cramping during real efforts.
Altered neuromuscular control theory The theory that cramps start in the nerves, not in dehydrated muscles.
2
  1. Schwellnus MP, Derman EW, Noakes TD. Aetiology of skeletal muscle 'cramps' during exercise: a novel hypothesis. J Sports Sci. 1997;15(3):277–285. PubMed Supports: the framing that cramp starts in the nervous system. A hypothesis paper. Does not: report new data or test any treatment.
  2. Schwellnus MP. Cause of exercise associated muscle cramps (EAMC)—altered neuromuscular control, dehydration or electrolyte depletion? Br J Sports Med. 2009;43(6):401–408. PubMed Supports: a review weighing the evidence toward neuromuscular causes. Does not: support electrolytes as a cramp treatment. It argues against that reading, including for us.
Osmolality, gastric emptying & GI tolerance Why a small-volume mix absorbs faster and sits easier than a full hydration bottle.
3
  1. Vist GE, Maughan RJ. The effect of osmolality and carbohydrate content on the rate of gastric emptying of liquids in man. J Physiol. 1995;486(2):523–531. PubMed Supports: that concentration and sugar content change how fast a drink leaves the stomach. Healthy men, at rest. Does not: involve exercise, brine, or cramping.
  2. Miller KC, et al. Gastric emptying after pickle-juice ingestion in rested, euhydrated humans. J Athl Train. 2010;45(6):601–608. PubMed Supports: timing of a small brine dose leaving the stomach, which bears on whether absorption could explain anything. Does not: involve dehydration, exercise, cramping, or a powder.
  3. Sawka MN, et al. ACSM Position Stand: Exercise and fluid replacement (GI tolerance guidance). Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(2):377–390. PubMed Supports: general guidance on fluid volume and tolerance during exercise. A position stand, not a study. Does not: evaluate any product, ours included.
Electrolyte balance (sodium, potassium) The salts that support hydration and muscle function during long efforts.
3
  1. Sawka MN, et al. ACSM Position Stand: Exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(2):377–390. PubMed Supports: that sweat losses vary enough between people that replacement has to be individual. This is where our 700mg sits. Does not: endorse sodium as a cramp treatment, or any brand.
  2. Maughan RJ. Exercise-associated muscle cramp: mechanisms and context. SSE review Supports: a plain-language overview of where the field stands. Does not: report primary data, and it is published by a sports-drink company's institute. Read it with that in mind.
  3. Sulzer NU, Schwellnus MP, Noakes TD. Serum electrolytes in Ironman triathletes with exercise-associated muscle cramping. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2005;37(7):1081–1085. PubMed Supports: a direct comparison of blood electrolytes in Ironman finishers who cramped and who did not. Does not: test any intervention. Observational, in triathletes, not trail runners.
Taurine An amino acid found in most electrolyte and endurance formulas.
1
  1. de Carvalho FG, et al. Taurine: a potential ergogenic aid for preventing muscle damage and protein catabolism and decreasing oxidative stress produced by endurance exercise. Front Physiol. 2017;8:710. PubMed Supports: a review of taurine and endurance exercise, mostly damage and oxidative stress outcomes. Does not: address cramping, and the doses reviewed are not our dose.
Magnesium 50mg as magnesium glycinate, a chelated form chosen for gut tolerance.
2
  1. Tarsitano MG, et al. Effects of magnesium supplementation on muscle soreness in different types of physical activities: a systematic review. J Transl Med. 2024;22:629. PMC Supports: a systematic review of magnesium and soreness. Findings are mixed. Does not: address cramping, and does not test 50mg as glycinate.
  2. Chen HY, et al. Magnesium enhances exercise performance via increasing glucose availability in the blood, muscle, and brain during exercise. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(1):e85486. PubMed Supports: a mechanism for magnesium and glucose availability during exercise. Does not: involve human athletes or cramping.

Acid first. Then the salts.

What's in the stick, in the order you feel it.

  • Vinegar up front

    Vinegar powder at roughly 0.7g acetic acid per stick. You taste it in the mouth and throat within a second, which is the point of mixing it small.

  • Then the electrolytes

    Sodium-led, with potassium and magnesium behind it. Enough for a hard stretch, small enough not to slosh.

  • Mixed how you like it

    2 oz is sharp, 4 oz is smoother, and anywhere in between works. Tune it to your gut and the conditions.

What's in this little mix.

Eight ingredients, grouped by what they do, with every amount listed.

Quickle powder close-up
Acid system

Vinegar powder (10% AA)

~0.7g acetic acid

Dried vinegar, 10% acetic acid. This is the ingredient the formula is built around, and the reason a stick tastes like a brine jar instead of a sports drink.

Sodium diacetate (vinegar salt)

dry acid salt

A vinegar-derived salt that holds the mix at a low pH and keeps the acid stable in powder form, without adding liquid volume.

Electrolytes

Sodium chloride

~700mg sodium

700mg of sodium per stick. Sweat sodium varies widely between people, so treat this as a starting point rather than a prescription.

Potassium chloride

~300mg potassium

300mg of potassium per stick. Sweat carries far less potassium than sodium, which is why the amount is smaller.

Magnesium glycinate (chelated)

~50mg magnesium

50mg of magnesium, bound to glycine. We chose the glycinate form for gut tolerance mid-effort over the cheaper oxide.

Support

Taurine

~1000mg

An amino acid your body already makes, and a common part of endurance formulas. It plays a supporting role here. The reading list has what the research on it does and doesn’t cover.

Flavor

Natural dill flavor

no artificial flavor

Dill, and nothing synthetic. It is here so the stick tastes like the jar rather than like candy.

Monk fruit extract

0g sugar

Takes the hardest edge off the acid. No sugar, no calories.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
10 servings per container
Serving size 1 Stick (10g)
Amount per serving
Calories
20
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g
0%
Sodium 700mg
30%
Total Carbohydrate 5g
2%
Total Sugars 0g
Includes 0g Added Sugars
0%
Protein 0g
Potassium 300mg
6%
Magnesium 50mg
12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Not a significant source of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium and iron.

One stick in 2 to 4 oz of cold water. Shake it and drink it fast. New to it? Start with 4 oz and go stronger from there.

Read the full guide
Quickle 2-Pack, Rise & Brine, open with two sticks

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Read how a gas station pickle pouch turned into Quickle, or find dosing, safety and shipping answers in the FAQ.