I saw a comment to use fast food burger joint relish packets!
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It's not the electrolytes:
From an older
thread on hydration recommendations, I posted:
Most leg cramps I've seen in cyclists seem to be related to harder than usual rides. Bigger steeper climbs and more miles than usual. Not an electrolyte or dehydration cause.
pickle juice
Some of the local hot summer event rides have small cups of pickle juice at the rest stops.
Now, newer studies show that
just a sip of pickle juice triggers a nerve reflex in the throat to short circuit some cramps. Ha, that's interesting. (The studies weren't with cyclists, though.)
For example, from the Washington Post:
How to get rid of leg cramps? Try pickle juice....
We do know muscle cramps occur more frequently among the elderly and among athletes, during pregnancy and dialysis, and in those with certain health conditions such as diabetes, cirrhosis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. If you’re experiencing cramps often, be sure to check with your doctor to rule out any concerns.
Leg cramps seem to peak in the midsummer and decrease in the winter, according to one study. Cramping among athletes also tends to increase during periods of hot weather, but it seems these cramps aren’t related to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances from sweating, as some have thought.
Evidence on how best to treat leg cramps is weak. But after reviewing the state of the medical literature, I often recommend trying two simple solutions: gently stretch the muscle or take a sip of pickle juice.
...
For cramping, athletes have long sworn by pickle juice (strained from jars of dill or kosher pickles) and other acidic substances such as mustard or apple cider vinegar.
Experimental data in healthy college-aged men suggests that pickle juice inhibits muscle cramps through a reflex involving a nerve in our throats. It’s why a tablespoon of pickle brine hitting the back of the throat seemed to bring relief within seconds.
Pickle juice may also work for cramps that aren’t induced by exercise. A randomized controlled trial published last year found that a sip of pickle juice reduced muscle cramp intensity in patients with cirrhosis.
Researchers believe this improvement is due to a similar reflex that occurs almost immediately, rather than by how pickle juice is metabolized by the gut.
More rigorous research is needed on pickle juice’s effect on muscle cramps. And this strategy might be less helpful for people whose leg cramps are rare or disappear on their own too quickly to justify keeping pickle juice handy. But it’s safe and cheap enough that I’d feel comfortable recommending it to anyone.
Remember: No need to overdo it.
“A sip is all it takes. We’re not telling people to chug pickle juice,” said Elliot Tapper, a hepatologist at the University of Michigan and the 2022 study’s lead author.
...
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After I posted this, I kept a tiny squirt bottle of apple cider vinegar by my bedside. I get random thigh, calf or foot cramps at night occasionally. They can be very tight and painful, and would take a long minute or so to relax.
I've had a few moderate cramps since then, and a half teaspoon sized squirt of vinegar to the back of my mouth killed the cramps within a few seconds. Ha, that's amazing!
(apple cider vinegar is way less nasty than pickle juice, I think.)