Secret to Michael Gbinije’s success: Syracuse basketball guard drinks pickle juice

By Mike Waters | mwaters@syracuse.com   –   Syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. — Michael Gbinije sat on the edge of a table in the Syracuse locker room and took a small sip out of a bottle of pickles.

He didn’t do it on a dare. He didn’t lose a bet. About a month ago, after doing some research on his own, Gbinije decided to start drinking pickle juice to help prevent his muscles from cramping.

On Sunday, Gbinije had played the entire 40 minutes in Syracuse’s 80-67 victory over Texas Southern at the Carrier Dome, so there sat Gbinije after the game, taking sips of the briny liquid in between questions from reporters.

“This is my own personal thing,” Gbinije said of his post-game pickle juice. “There are days when I have to force myself to drink it, but I’m just doing it for the health benefits. The taste is not the best.”

So far, Gbinije is the only member of the Syracuse basketball team who has taken to drinking pickle juice.

“Some people just ask for a pickle out of the jar before I take my first sip, but no one will actually drink the pickle juice,” Gbinije said. “I get an ‘Ew, why are you drinking that?’ or ‘What’s that smell?’ You gotta take the good with the bad.”

Athletes generally experience cramping due to dehydration and the loss of sodium from their systems during heavy workouts and games. The National Institutes of Health has reported that the consumption of high-sodium drinks before and after exercise can help prevent cramping.

Syracuse trainer Brad Pike said pickles and pickle juice contain a high level of sodium. Pike added that he has not encouraged Gbinije to drink pickle juice. Gbinije said the most he will drink in a day is about three-quarters of the juice in a jar of pickles.

The average pickle spear contains 220 milligrams of sodium compared to 110 milligrams in an 8-ounce bottle of Gatorade. In addition to being high in sodium, pickle juice also contains magnesium and vinegar, both of which are purported to have helpful qualities in the prevention of cramps.

If pickle juice is the answer, then Gbinije is the question. The Syracuse senior currently ranks sixth in the NCAA in minutes played at 37.3 per game. North Carolina State’s Anthony Barber is playing 38.2 minutes per game, making him the only player in the ACC logging more time than Gbinije. Take away Gbinije’s 26-minute outing in a Nov. 21 win over Elon and he’s averaging 38.5 minutes per game for the Orange.

Gbinije had a team-high 15 points and a team-high 7 rebounds and a team-high 4 assists in the Orange’s win over Texas Southern. That was nothing out of the ordinary for the 6-foot-7 senior. For the season, Gbinije leads Syracuse in scoring (18.6 points per game), assists (4.6 per game) and steals (2.7 per game) while also averaging 4.1 rebounds per game.

Syracuse head coach designate Mike Hopkins said Gbinije will continue to play a lot.

“When you have a guy of Mike Gbinije’s caliber, it just helps everybody,” Hopkins said after Sunday’s game. “He’s doing a lot for us from assisting to rebounding. He’s going to play those minutes. He’s going to play. He’s not coming out of the game. He’s too valuable. He’s in great shape. He’s playing as good as anybody in our league, maybe even in the country.”

Then Hopkins revealed Gbinije’s secret.

“He’s drinking that pickle juice,” Hopkins said. “It’s good for you. No cramping.”