Participants sought for studies Could a strongly flavoured drink prevent muscle cramps?

Despite their prevalence, muscle cramps remain a mystery. Cramps might be caused by uncontrollable signals coming from the spinal cord, especially when we get tired. We will test if a strongly flavoured drink (with capsaicin, ginger and cinnamon) can send relaxing signals to our spinal cord to prevent cramps.

Closeup young man is sporting in park he stops and sits down by roadside chair suffers from calf cramping with hands touching massage the painful point straightening legs pull foot for ease
Photo: Getty Images

How does the study work?

You will be asked to visit our laboratory at Karolinska Hospital (Huddinge) during 2 days. 

Sessions will involve muscle contractions and mild electrical stimulation to your muscles. The procedures are designed to trigger muscle cramps in a safe and controlled setting. 

Sessions will also include nerve stimulation and consumption of a small (50 ml) spicy drink. 

We will use sensors on your skin to measure the small electrical signals of your muscles.

Each session will last approximately 2.5 hours.

Who can participate?

You may be eligible if you:

  • Are 18-50 years old and free of pain
  • Are not pregnant
  • Have not been diagnosed with a neurological disorder

Reimbursement

Participants will be given a SEK 550 gift card.

Contact

If you would like to receive more information and potentially participate, please contact:

Profile image

Ricardo Mesquita

Postdoctoral Researcher
Department of Laboratory Medicine

The project has been approved by Etikprövningsmyndigheten (2025-04103-01).

Processing of personal data

Your personal data is processed for the purposes of this study in accordance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). The legal entity responsible for processing of your personal data is Karolinska Institutet. The Data Protection Officer can be reached at dataskyddsombud@ki.se. The data will be analyzed on a group level, handled confidentially and it will be stored in a secure database at Karolinska Institutet. You can terminate your participation in the study at any time.