The “high-voltage semi-final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner” and that “learning to enjoy suffering without flash or mischief, with overalls and perseverance” of the Murcian tennis player, as described by the ABC sports journalist, Laura Marta, has had another protagonist , very … despite both athletes: cramps.
In fact, in recent days there has been talk of a resource that Carlos Alcaraz uses to alleviate them: pickle juice. But what scientific evidence is there behind this? Let’s go in parts, since first it is advisable to know a little more about cramps: what they are and how they occur.
As explained by Dr. Helios Pareja Galeano (@heliospareja), researcher and professor at the UAM in the field of exercise physiology, nutrition and metabolism; the muscle cramps associated with exercise They are one of the most prevalent ailments in endurance competitions, it has been documented that they affect 1 in every 500 ultramarathon runners. “They cause pain, stiffness and bulging or knotting of the muscle and have a duration between 1 and 3 minutes,” he points out. But the expert also explains that there is an association between the production of cramps and prolonged activities carried out at vigorous intensities. In fact, a peculiarity of cramps is that there are people more susceptible than others to them. suffer them under the same conditions and it has also been proven that there is a higher incidence in women than in men.
Cramps, therefore, are defined, as Dr. Pareja adds, as “involuntary, spasmodic and painful of skeletal muscle that occur during or immediately after exercise. And although they are also called heat cramps, the truth is that they occur during exercise in cold conditions.
Why cramps occur
On multiple occasions, the cramps muscles with dehydration and a decrease in salts caused by exercise. Thus, as Dr. Pareja highlights, this theory says that a deformation of the nerve endings would occur, which would cause spontaneous discharges, causing cramp. However, both Dr. Pareja and Laura Gilsanz (@laurisanutricion), sports nutritionist and researcher at the Autonomous University of Madrid, assure that no differences have been found in the state of hydration nor in the salt concentration in blood between athletes who suffer cramps and those who do not. To this we must add the fact that, often, cramps are relieved by stretching the affected musclesso, as Dr. Pareja recalls, it does not make sense that they are due to dehydration or a lack of salts.
Therefore, as both experts clarify, the most solid evidence that explains why muscle cramps occur associated with exercise is related to a response to fatigue. “This generates an imbalance at the nervous level that increases the excitation of the neurons that innervate the muscles, producing many contractions that give rise to cramps,” says Dr. Pareja.
Furthermore, these usually occur near the end or after the sporting event, and those who experience it usually suffer a muscular fatigue previous.
How to avoid cramps
The treatments The most common treatments for cramps are stretching, tights, compressiontherapy massage wave active muscle mobilizationas highlighted by Dr. Pareja.
It is also advisable to hydration and the supplementation with electrolytes (salt and magnesium pills) which, although we have mentioned that they are not a direct cause of cramps, can help improve fatigue caused by dehydration and to prevent heat stroke.
And now let’s talk about the resource that has come to light due to the use that tennis player Carlos Alcaraz makes of it. As revealed by Dr. Pareja and nutritionist Laura Gilsanz, one of the least known “remedies” to alleviate muscle cramps is pickle juiceand, as confirmed by experts, it has been shown that drinking between 30-60 ml of this liquid relieves cramps between 30 and 35 seconds. «This may be because the high concentration of salt combined with the acetic acid (vinegar), and the bad taste that this causes inhibits the activity of the muscles that suffer cramps,” they clarify. Thus, and based on this principle, the truth is that if we do not have pickle juice we can make a “homemade anti-cramp concoction” by mixing vinegar with a good handful of salt, rinsing our mouth would be enough, it is not necessary to drink it, according to both experts.
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Vinegar
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A good handful of salt
Another strategy that Dr. Pareja proposes is hyperventilationthat is, take 20 to 30 deep breaths per minute while the cramp occurs, to relieve it more quickly.
Therefore, as explained by Dr. Pareja and nutritionist Laura Gilsanz, we can try these simple and quick strategies the next time we suffer from muscle cramps.
