How vinegar shots are tackling muscle cramps in professional football

Despite the major advancements in sports science, vinegar, a regular household item, proves effective in treating cramps and muscle overload.

In the world of professional football and other sports, the use of vinegar shots, particularly in the form of pickle juice, has emerged as a trendy remedy against cramps. 

This practice, which has been adopted from marathon runners and ironman competitors, is gaining traction due to its perceived effectiveness in quickly alleviating muscle cramps. The science behind this remedy hinges on a couple of key theories.

How it works

One theory posits that the sodium and vinegar content in pickle juice helps replenish electrolytes lost during intense physical activity, thus preventing or reducing cramps. Electrolytes, such as sodium, are crucial for muscle function, and their imbalance can lead to cramping.

Another theory, known as the oropharyngeal reflex theory, suggests a different mechanism. A study found that pickle juice could shorten the duration of cramps, providing relief in about 1.5 minutes, which was 45% faster than without treatment. 

The hypothesis here is that the sour taste of the pickle juice might trigger a reflex in the mouth, distracting the brain from the cramp and inhibiting the firing of alpha motor neurons in the cramping muscle. In this case, the flavour of the pickle juice, rather than its contents, might be responsible for alleviating cramps.

In addition to these theories, it's believed that the acidity of the vinegar in pickle juice triggers a reflex that tells the muscles to stop contracting, thereby reducing the muscle cramping as soon as the vinegar touches receptors in the mouth. This mechanism is known as "reflex inhibition of the cramp."

Despite the growing popularity of this remedy, especially among athletes like ultrarunners and football players, scientific research on the efficacy of pickle juice for cramps is still limited. However, some studies have shown promising results, indicating that pickle juice relieves cramp duration significantly faster than drinking water.

According to Relevo, prominent athletes have been observed using this remedy. Carlos Alcaraz, for instance, faced cramping challenges in high-stress tennis matches and might have benefited from such an unconventional therapy. Similarly, the Indian women's hockey team utilised pickle juice to combat the heat in Tokyo.

While the use of vinegar or pickle juice shots in sports such as football is not universally accepted and some experts consider it more of a fad, the anecdotal evidence and preliminary scientific findings point to its potential effectiveness in combating muscle cramps. This makes it a topic of interest for athletes, coaches, and sports scientists alike.

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