There’s little more frustrating than being sidelined by a muscle cramp. You’ve built the strength and the mental stamina, but you also need your muscles to perform their best — and that means keeping your muscles from seizing up.
Exercise strain and overuse are the most common causes of muscle cramps, explains Dana Hunnes, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., a senior dietitian at Ronald Reagan-UCLA Medical Center and author of Recipe for Survival.
But there’s another thing to consider if you’re prone to these annoyances: Your electrolyte intake. Your body needs optimal amounts of electrolytes (like calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium) to perform many tasks correctly, including muscle contractions.
Recent research found that drinking a solution containing electrolytes reduced the susceptibility to cramping compared with plain water. By eating a diet rich in foods with electrolytes, you may be able to help prevent imbalances that can cause your muscles to cramp.
Here’s a list of foods that (could) help with muscle cramps since they provide electrolytes.
1. Avocado
You’ll find several electrolytes in your serving of guac: Avocados offer up calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Hunnes says they may be able to help with cramps “if the cause of the cramping is due to low potassium or magnesium.”
2. Banana
While bananas have a slightly inflated reputation for helping with muscle cramps due to their potassium content, one large banana provides 487 mg potassium, which qualifies them as a “good source” of the mineral, along with some magnesium and calcium.
In one study, researchers found that women who consumed less dietary potassium were more likely to experience muscle cramps.
3. Beans
You wouldn’t expect beans to be one of the foods that may help with muscle cramps, but white beans are actually one of the top sources of potassium. Hunnes notes that beans may help ease your cramps if they’re caused by low potassium or magnesium.
That’s because one cup of these legumes contains 1,190 mg potassium and 134 mg magnesium (an excellent source!). Plus, that generous amount delivers nearly 13 grams of filling fiber.
4. Bone Broth
Bone broth quality varies widely, so make sure you’re buying from a brand you trust or try making it yourself. If you’re making it at home, you can increase the magnesium and calcium in your bone broth by cooking it for eight hours or more.
5. Coconut Water
Coconut water is like nature’s sports drink. Depending on the type of coconut, it may contain calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and magnesium, as well as natural sugars to replenish your glycogen stores.
An 8-ounce cup of coconut water has almost 400 mg potassium. Hunnes also notes that replacing lost liquid, like with coconut water, may help with muscle cramps.
6. Dark, Leafy Greens
Greens are among the more unexpected foods that deliver minerals that might help with muscle cramps. These are an excellent source of magnesium and potassium that can help replenish low levels of these minerals. Hunnes adds that they can also help with hydration since they’re also full of water.
7. Milk
Reduced-fat milk can help replenish lost fluids post-workout and deliver protein to rebuild muscles. One cup has 390 mg potassium, 96 mg sodium, and 309 mg calcium, which plays a vital role in proper muscle function.
Like coconut water, milk may also help with cramps by replacing lost fluids, Hunnes explains.
8. Orange Juice
Orange juice will not only help refill your depleted glycogen stores after a workout but also supply several vital electrolytes. One cup of OJ includes some magnesium and almost 500 mg potassium. That’s more than a banana, which gets a lot of credit for its muscle-soothing potassium content.
9. Papaya
Burned out on bananas? Reach for papaya instead. This tropical fruit offers 300 mg of potassium in one cup. Like bananas, papaya will also deliver carbs that will refill your glycogen stores after a strenuous workout.
Hunnes adds that this fruit also helps support digestion “from its naturally occurring enzymes, just in case you have any smooth-muscle (intestinal) cramping.”
10. Pickle Juice
Swigging pickle juice to help your workouts isn’t as weird as it once was, and researchers have looked into the practice. One study found that participants’ muscle cramps went away about 49 seconds faster when they drank this briny liquid.
11. Salmon
Wild-caught salmon has a lot going for it nutritionally. It’s rich in heart-healthy omega-3s, protein to support muscle recovery, and contains the electrolytes magnesium and potassium.
12. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are another food you probably don’t reach for when your muscles cramp. But if you’re looking for a potassium boost, look no further! Just half a cup mashed provides 475 mg of potassium, so it’s a good source.
13. Watermelon
Our muscles need enough water to function as they should, and watermelon is rich in it. This melon is also almost 92% water.