Cramps are just your body’s way of ratcheting up the exercise intensity, albeit without your express permission.
If you’re not a fan of this kind of agony, there could be a solution: acetic acid.
A paper in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research looked at the kind of foods people take to avoid cramps and checked to see if acetic acid was present. They found that sweet pickle juices, yellow mustard, sweet relish, and apple cider vinegar among others all had this compound and vouched for it as a way to put your foot down against workout-ending cramps.
This articlce originally featured in TRAIN issue 88. You can get a free subscription by clicking here.
