The knockout rounds of the European Championship are in full swing, and the best team may have different opinions, but England must be the most disappointing one.
In the first game of the knockout round, England almost overturned, facing Slovakia, the lowest value in the European Cup, and only drew with Bellingham's goal in the 94th minute.
What's wrong with star-studded England?
Source: BBC
As we all know, Great Britain has little to do with food. In addition to the fish and chips that netizens are hotly talking about, the dark dishes represented by the "stargazing pie" are more remembered.
Source: BBC
During the group stage of the European Cup, the England national team gave fans a "big job".
In England's opening game at the European Championships, Kieran Trippier suddenly fell to the ground in the second half, and the hearts of the fans instantly tugged at them - after all, left-backs are a rarity for England.
Fortunately, in the end, it was just a false alarm. Trippier suffered from calf cramps in the heat of the game, so he moved to the sidelines, stretched his right leg on a billboard, and drank the two packs of drinks handed by the team doctor.
Source: Sun
The audience was curious about what he was drinking. There are even conspiracy theories that he was doping.
But after some digging and investigation by netizens on social media, the answer is even more "ridiculous" than stimulants - two packets of liquid, one is a high-carbohydrate drink known as a "fuel bomb", and the other bag is kimchi juice.
That's right, kimchi juice......
However, kimchi is not the kimchi kimchi that Koreans love, but a sauce similar to the "pickled cucumber" that is indispensable in Western cuisine.
图源：Recipes
Although it sounds weird and a little disgusting, according to British media, this is the "secret weapon" specially prepared by the England team for this European Cup.
Kimchi juice has been reported to relieve cramps "40% faster" than regular drinking water, due to the fact that kimchi juice is rich in potassium, sodium ions, which can help players maintain electrolyte balance, and its sour taste can trigger oral reflexes to give body instructions to stop muscle spasms.
According to the official introduction of the brand PICKLE JUICE, its ordinary kimchi juice contains 10 times more electrolytes than ordinary sports drinks; The concentrated version contains 15 times more electrolytes.
SOURCE: PICKLE JUICE (THIS THING IS ALSO SPICY)
In fact, although "pickle juice" is the first time it has appeared in the England national team, or even in continental competitions, it has already become popular among athletes and A-listers.
It is especially used frequently in tennis matches. Wimbledon champion Alcaraz was one of the heroes of last summer's comeback victory over Novak Djokovic after drinking pickle juice.
American tennis star Francis Tiafoe was also full of praise for the drink, saying that the pickle juice helped him win against Dimitrov at the Australian Open.
Last year, drinking kimchi juice even became a popular challenge, with nearly 20 million videos under the topic, and people tried to use it not only to relieve exercise cramps, but also to use it as a cocktail condiment and gut health supplement.
Professional athletes drink kimchi juice Source: ESPN
Of course, if it's not a state of emergency, no one wants to try to drink kimchi juice.
In Arsenal's 2-0 win over Chelsea in the Premier League in 2019, Gunners midfielder Andreas Torreira was handed a small bottle of pickled juice by the team doctor, but he almost "vomited" in his mouth.
Just yesterday, Manchester United midfielder Mainou, who attended the press conference on behalf of the Three Lions, was also asked by reporters whether he had tried the taste of kimchi juice, Menou shook his head while laughing, and his expression of resistance was obvious: "No, no, but maybe after training, I guess I will try?" I can't say ......."
托雷拉秒吐 图源：The sun
However, at present, fruit and vegetable juice has become a trend to become a "panacea" for exercise and health maintenance.
David Beckham and Victoria are well versed in apple cider vinegar for their health, which they believe can boost immunity and curb sugar cravings.
American singer Selena Gomez has similar health tips. She said she was so "obsessed" with pickles that she even drank the brine of the pickles, though it's unclear if this was necessarily good for her health.
According to Mengniu's professional sports nutrition brand Maisheng, beetroot is rich in nitrate, which can increase the level of nitric oxide (NO) to relax blood vessels, reduce blood circulation resistance, increase blood flow, improve mitochondrial function, improve the ability of muscle cells to use oxygen, and increase the maximum oxygen uptake of the human body by up to 15%.
Source: Maisheng
The emergence of these innovative drinks not only enriches the choices of athletes, but also provides a new concept of health for ordinary people. Whether it's the electrolyte replenishment of kimchi juice or the stamina boost of beetroot juice, they demonstrate the potential of natural foods.
Returning to the original topic, with the continuous advancement of science and nutrition research, we can expect more "secret weapons" similar to kimchi juice to be discovered and applied.
Perhaps, in the next World Cup, the England team will still bring "bean juice"?