Pickle Juice Fights Muscle Cramps

Components in pickle juice appear to fight muscle cramping, not by impacting blood levels of electrolytes or fluids, but by impacting nervous system receptors, according to a new study (Med Sci Sports Exercise. 2010;42(5):953-61. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181c0647e). Kevin C. Miller, Ph.D., from North Dakota State University (NDSU) worked with researchers at Brigham Young University to study the effects of pickle juice ingestion as a treatment for skeletal muscle cramps.

The researchers induced muscle cramps in mildly dehydrated male college students by stimulating the men’s tibial nerve in their ankles, which causes cramping in the big toe; average cramping lasted 2.5 minutes. After a 30 minute rest, a second cramp was induced, followed by immediate ingestion of 2.5 oz. of deionized water or pickle juice. Consuming pickle juice relieved the muscle cramps 45 percent faster than if the men consumed no fluids and 37 percent faster than the subjects drinking water.

While blood samples were taken before and after the men drank the fluids, there were no significant changes in levels of blood sodium, potassium, magnesium or calcium levels. As such, the effect on cramping could not be explained by restoration of body fluids or electrolytes. Instead, Miller suggested the pickle juice rapidly inhibits certain nervous system receptors that send out signals to disrupt the muscle cramping.