http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2742453/I know this topic has been battered around in the media. The reason I bring it up, is because I was listening to a triathlon podcast, and heard about some direct experiences with use of pickle juice mid race.
The cramps seem to respond within about 15 seconds of sipping the pickle juice for some people.
Which means, he said, that something in pickle juice triggers a neurological response that starts in the mouth or the top of the esophagus.
“The brain sends a message to the spinal cord and to the alpha motor neurons telling them to relax.”
Researchers don’t know why or what it is in pickle juice that acts so quickly.
“The relief was happening so fast, it can’t be a metabolic effect,” said Miller, who has studied the pickle-juice phenomenon since 2008.The woman who spoke about her cramping issues in triathlon, carried a little flask with her at the request of her coach, and took it when she cramped on the run, then had to do it again about every 20-30 minutes as the cramps returned.
While I don't think this is a long term solution to cramping, I think it could help in the meanwhile.
I think once athletes have taken care of electrolytes, the next biggest issue is racing much harder than training. I think that range of motion, muscle tension, and neurological coordination and intensity/frequency of neural input gets challenged above normal experience, and the muscles end of cramping. In my simple way of thinking, I think about when I'm doing a new repetitive move in Majorie's strength class. When I'm not used to coordinating which muscles ought to fire and which ought to relax, it's not uncommon for me to get a cramp in the working area. The same happens when I'm undertrained for a long race...at some point in both the bike and run, I feel muscles threatening to cramp, even when I'm very well hydrated and electrolyte topped up. Training with intensity is important to get ready to race. Obviously the timing and recovery for that type of training is tricky....but doable.
