Miller et al. 2010, pickle juice and electrically induced muscle cramp

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise crossover study in hypohydrated men. Drinking about 1 mL/kg (~74 mL) of pickle juice shortened the duration of an electrically induced muscle cramp by roughly 49 seconds compared with water (about 85 versus 134 seconds). Relief began within about a minute, which is faster than the fluid could have been absorbed, and plasma electrolytes and osmolality were essentially unchanged five minutes after drinking. The authors concluded the effect could not be explained by rehydration or electrolyte replacement, and proposed a reflex arising in the mouth and throat (oropharyngeal region) that inhibits the firing of the alpha motor neurons driving the cramp. Supports the neuromuscular-control model of cramp over the dehydration-electrolyte model. Caveat: the cramps were electrically induced in a small sample, not spontaneous cramps during running, so this is a mechanistic proof of concept rather than proof of a field remedy.