Yes, Cucumber Juice Can Relieve Muscle Cramps

Leg cramps in the middle of a workout or just during the day can be a painful experience, and at this point you are willing to do anything to alleviate them. Maybe even drink some pickle juice?

It’s long been thought that muscle cramps, which occur more often in warmer months, are caused by dehydration and loss of electrolytes, although research is starting to show it may be a little more complicated . The frequency of seizures may also increase during pregnancy, as a person gets older, or with medical problems such as diabetes or diseases affecting the liver, thyroid, or nervous system.

Whatever is causing your cramps, if you’ve ever heard that drinking pickle juice can help relieve your symptoms, it’s true.

Cucumber Juice Can Relieve Muscle Cramps in Seconds

The next time you feel leg cramps, drink some pickle juice , as evidence suggests it can provide quick relief from the pain of cramps. Athletic trainers have been swearing by pickle juice for years, and it looks like they are onto something as science may have identified the mechanism behind pickle juice’s effectiveness as a cramp reliever.

A number of (small) studies have shown that drinking a small amount of pickle juice can relieve cramps within seconds, and this relief is thought to occur by stimulating a nerve in the back of the throat. (The effect is too rapid to be attributed to electrolytes or other nutrients in the juice.) One hypothesis for how this works is that pickle juice triggers TRPV1 receptors, which tell our nervous system to stop spasming .

You don’t need a lot of pickle juice to get the effect – just one tablespoon is enough and you don’t have to wait for it to take effect.

Other Possible Foods to Help with Muscle Cramps

TRPV1 receptors are activated by strong tastes, such as pickle juice or anything else that tastes too hot, sour, or otherwise intense. (This website has previously suggested sour candy as a possible remedy for cramps, although the science has not specifically addressed whether Sour Patch Kids act as a cure for cramps.) If you hate pickle juice or don’t have any on hand , try something different. Foods that can potentially relieve cramps include mustard, hot peppers, ginger and vinegar.