Pickle Juice for Cramps: 5 Important points to Know

Muscle cramps are the sudden contraction in the muscle in a particular area which causes severe pain and numbness. Due to insufficient exercise and workout routines muscle cramp is very common in today’s lifestyle. Another major factor that causes muscle cramping is body weight.

Hence, pickle juice for cramps become a very effective remedy for treating cramps. This is mainly useful for athletes and runners after a vigorous workout. Furthermore, even electrically induced muscle cramps show an effective improvement.

What Causes Cramps? 

The sudden contraction in the muscle or cramps is caused by disturbances in the signalling of the nervous system, the function of alpha motor neurons, acetic acid accumulation, sodium content, electrolyte levels, blood levels, dehydration, and potassium deficiency.

The cramp duration depends on person-to-person muscle nature and condition. It also impacts the alpha motor neurons, high blood pressure, and nerves.

1. Lifestyle Reasons for Cramps

There are several lifestyle activities and incidences, which make the individual more prone to the development of cramps. These incidents or events include access to exercise or heavy weight lifting exercises. The other reasons behind developing the cramps include.

• Recreational running exercise

• Weight training exercise

• Players of football and basketball.

• Players who sweat a lot in the field

• Weight training of muscles

• Intake of medicine

Some experts also have the opinion that the prominent reason behind cramping is muscle fatigue. The rate of cramping increases when there is dehydration in the body¹ and in hot weather.

2. Medical Reasons for Cramps

Certain medical reasons are also involved in the development of cramps² in a particular individual. These medical reasons include.

• Use of alcohol

• Parkinson’s disorder

• Kidney disease

• Diabetes type 2

• Mal nutrition

• Disorders related to foods

• Use of birth control medicine

• Diuretics medicines uptake

• Statins intake

Benefits of Pickle Juice for Cramps

To prevent muscle cramps health professionals prescribe some cramp relief for leg cramps and muscle cramps. But pickle juice is one of the most effective remedies. 

• It helps in reflex inhibition of electrically induced muscle cramps in hypohydration persons.
• It also has properties that are good for the stomach, throat, pain, and other parts of the body.
• Pickle juice not only completes the deficiency of electrolytes in the body but also provide strength to football players and other sports person who is likely to develop cramps during sports.

Pickle Juice for Cramps in Hypohydration Humans

Hypohydrated humans are individuals whose body is deficient in water more than in normal condition. This individual requires water amount in very large amounts, otherwise, their body collapses, if the condition is maintained for a longer period of time.

Pickle juice for cramps in hypohydration humans helps in increasing the electrolyte level along with other essential nutrients including calcium, sodium, and potassium. It also helps in shorting the cramping timing in the individual, who is involved in vigorous running activities and playing.

How to use Pickle Juice for Cramp Relief?

Pickle juice is widely used by many athletes not only to prevent cramps but also to reduce dehydration from their body and to maintain calcium, and nutrition levels in their body plasma.

The set amount for taking the pickle juice is fully dependent on the person-to-person choice and body. Measure the pickle juice according to your choice and drinking it quickly is the best way to consume it. A rough estimation to take pickle juice is also acceptable.

Both the pickle juice bought from the store – the cucumber pickles bottle and the homemade fermented pickles are safe for use. However, the only thing you have to keep in mind before buying the fermented pickle bottles from the store is the content of vinegar acids and salts.

Pasteurization does play a major role in pickle juice, it does not matter whether the pickle juice for ramps is pasteurized or not. The main role is in vinegar acids which help in relieving cramps.

Try to avoid watering the pickle juice before drinking it – drink it raw. It’s difficult for some people to drink pickle juice because of its taste, So for those people no need to worry, you can still get the pickle juice’s main components, from other pickles and foods.

There are so many varieties of pickles present in the market, which are prepared by different pickle juice companies only. From normal pickles also one can get calcium and other necessary components.

Studies on Pickle Juice for Cramps 

Nowadays, athletes widely use pickle brine for muscle cramps, especially leg cramps. So, certain studies are continuously taking place on the role of pickle juice in muscle cramps.

Although very little research has proven the function of pickle juice on muscle cramps until now. Some scientists believe that pickle juice just has a placebo effect on muscle cramps.

Pickle juice ingestion does not prevent cramps, according to a 2014 study. In this study, the team studied the blood plasma of nine healthy men for an increased level of electrolytes³, and they found that the level of the electrolytes remained the same, there was no significant increase in the level of electrolytes after the consumption of pickle juice.

The team also stated that no matter what the participants drink, whether it is a soft drink, pickle juice, or any other drink, the electrolyte level remains the same.

The reason behind this is electrolytes take a lot of time to absorb into the blood fully. The exact same study was done on a set of endurance athletes in the year 2010, in which the pickle juice effect on cramps was studied. It was found that pickle juice helps in shortening the duration of cramps.

The effect of pickle juice also depends on small volumes and large volumes of intake. The study revealed that the duration of cramping is about 1.5 minutes if nothing is taken after the exercise.

Another interesting thing that they observed is that cramp relief has no connection with the placebo effect. This statement later supports that pickle juice for cramps is beneficial when studied again in the year 2014.

Key Takeaways

Normally the cramps come and go within a few minutes. But pickle juice for cramps can help in reducing the cramp’s timing so that the individual does not go through the pain and difficulties again and again.

At present, we do not have any particularly designed medicine for cramps. So, in this situation, drinking pickle juice for cramps is not a bad idea.

FAQs

1. How does pickle juice help the body?

Ans. Pickle juice keeps the body hydrated and gives relief to muscle cramps, and blood sugar and keeps the gut health fine. 

2. How much pickle juice can be consumed in a day?

Ans. One and a half to three ounces of pickle juice per day is suitable for intake. 

3. Who must avoid drinking pickle juice?

Ans. People suffering from hypertension must avoid drinking pickle juice. 

1. Thomas, David R., et al. “Understanding clinical dehydration and its treatment.” Journal of the American Medical Directors Association 9.5 (2008): 292-301. ↩︎
2. Minetto, Marco Alessandro, et al. “Origin and development of muscle cramps.” Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews 41.1 (2013): 3-10. ↩︎
3. Gerischer, Heinz, and Walter Ekardt. “Fermi levels in electrolytes and the absolute scale of redox potentials.” Applied physics letters 43.4 (1983): 393-395. ↩︎

Last Updated on July 29, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology