Q: After a workout last Wednesday I came home and immediately fell asleep. Upon awakening I found myself unable to breathe. For the next three days I was very ill with quite severe respiratory distress and was pretty much bedridden. Sunday I woke up feeling much better so I decided to do my Saturday workout but I was only able to do two sets. Monday I went for a walk with the dog and rode my bike. Later that day I began to have severe cramping in my legs. My yoga instructor showed up Tuesday and we did quite a bit of work to loosen the tightness in my hips and the IT band of my left leg, but again that night I suffered from severe cramping in my calves and feet. Last night the pain was so severe I was literally screaming in agony. My toes were splaying in different directions and I honestly felt as though I was being possessed!

I’ve been drinking a lot of water with sea salt and taking my magnesium (perhaps I may have a calcium deficiency) so I wasn’t sure what more I could do but I knew I couldn’t manage the pain, spasms and cramping much longer. As I was about to go to bed fearful of being woken up in agony again, my husband came up and told me he had just read an article that said drinking pickle juice immediately stops muscle cramping. The thought of drinking pickle juice did not sit well with me but I was desperate to try anything at that point so I decided to eat two pickles instead. I couldn’t believe it within minutes the cramping ceased and so far has not returned.

Have you ever heard of this? It really works!!!

A: Yes, I’ve heard of using pickles for this purpose—but not necessarily the juice. From the sounds of it, your issue is more likely a sodium deficiency rather than calcium. Cramping after workouts is often caused by electrolyte loss through sweat, and in your case, sodium seems to be the culprit.

Start eating pickles daily to maintain your sodium levels. If you want to dive deeper into the importance of sodium, I highly recommend reading Sodium, Your Secret Weapon by Scott Abel. While it’s geared toward athletes and bodybuilders, it provides a solid understanding of why sodium is so important for muscle function.