The body uses acetic acid to produce acetylcholine, which is essential for leg muscle contractions. This is why mustard is effective in relieving leg cramps. Yellow mustard is the only type of mustard documented to relieve nighttime leg cramps. We suspect that yellow mustard, hot peppers, or pickle juice may also work by stimulating the same nerves.
Visitors to our website report rapid relief from cramps with remedies that cannot otherwise be explained by the slow absorption of sodium in the case of pickle juice or turmeric in the case of yellow mustard. So why does this work? One of the reasons why this strange remedy is suggested to be useful is because the condiment contains acetic acid (in vinegar), which causes the body to produce more acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that causes muscles to work. Mustard is also a good source of magnesium.
When our muscles tighten, calcium is released in the muscles. Magnesium counteracts the effects of calcium, reducing muscle cramps. Magnesium has also been shown to reduce the severity of asthma, lower high blood pressure, restore normal sleep patterns in women who have difficulty with menopausal symptoms, reduces the frequency of migraine attacks, and prevents heart attacks in patients suffering from atherosclerosis or heart attacks diabetic. disease.
Like bananas, the nutrients in mustard don't reach the blood quickly enough to change blood electrolytes and alleviate muscle cramps associated with exercise. In fact, scientists recently observed that when subjects ate 30 packs of mustard after intense exercise in the heat, their blood sodium and potassium levels did not change an hour after ingestion. It's better to simply enjoy it in your hot dog than to rely on it to stop muscle cramps. We've all heard the myths about the cause, treatment, and prevention of muscle cramps that occur during or after exercise (called exercise-associated muscle cramps, or EAMC).
For decades, doctors and sports trainers assumed that muscle cramps originated in muscles and were caused by dehydration or imbalances in electrolytes such as sodium, potassium or magnesium. As a result, a signal is sent to your body that prevents the nerves in your muscles from becoming too excited and causing muscle cramps (6, 7,.