It has long been believed that exercise-induced muscle cramps could be the result of excessive fluid and electrolyte losses through sweating. A very intriguing article in the Globe and Mail suggested that the deeply entrenched beliefs about what causes the cramps may be wrong. Researchers from Brigham Young University have published a study in May stating a quarter-cup of pickle juice will relieve muscle cramps in an average of 85 seconds, 45 per cent faster than drinking water! 
 
Your muscles are always held in a delicate balance between two types of reflex: an excitatory input that encourages them to contract and an inhibitory input that encourages them to relax. This new evidence suggests that cramps result when the excitatory input overwhelms the inhibitory input to motor neurons, leading to uncontroled muscle spasm. The animal study suggested that the vinegar in pickle juice can influence these reflexes, hence the “magic” cure. Researchers are now considering the possibility that cramps are related to “altered neuromuscular control.” Muscle fatigue and damage, family history and even pickle juice can affect this delicate balance.
 
Discrepancies in the followings have led the researchers to continue their studies in this area: 

1. Muscles affected are usually those that have been working hardest which begs the question “If it’s a systemic problem like dehydration, then why doesn’t the whole body cramp?”
2. It has long known that the best way to relieve a cramp is to stretch the affected muscle – another indication that the problem is local rather than general.