Magnesium

Magnesium is a vital mineral that impacts many of the body's physiological processes, particularly those affecting our muscles and brain. As an electrolyte, magnesium carries an electrical charge, playing a crucial role in over 300 enzymatic reactions. It is involved in energy production, muscular contraction, nervous system activity and protein synthesis. Additionally, magnesium helps maintain fluid balance and regulates calcium levels, making it essential for bone health and preventing electrolyte imbalances.

Due to its role in muscular contraction and energy production, magnesium is highly important for an active lifestyle. Deficiencies in magnesium can affect physical performance, as physical activity uses and depletes the body's magnesium stores. Clinical findings suggest that magnesium supplementation before a workout can be beneficial, especially as activity levels increase. A randomised control trial found that serum and erythrocyte (red blood cell) magnesium levels decreased during exercise for all participants, but more so for the control group. Additionally, muscle integrity was better retained in those who supplemented with magnesium compared to controls, highlighting the benefits of magnesium for exercise. Magnesium levels are strongly associated with muscle performance across several different measures, including grip strength and lower-leg muscle power. Further benefits of magnesium supplementation related to exercise and physical activity have been identified in a meta-analysis of randomised control trials, which found that magnesium supplementation improved muscle soreness, athletic performance, recovery and exerted a protective effect on muscle damage. This may be due to the role magnesium has in enhancing glucose availability to provide energy for muscles and the brain, as well as increasing lactate clearance. In a group of healthy elderly women, daily magnesium supplementation for 12 weeks improved physical performance, suggesting a role for magnesium supplementation in preventing or delaying age-related declines in physical performance.

Magnesium is also crucial for transmitting nerve impulses between nerve cells and regulating nervous system activity. A national health survey amongst adults in the USA identified that both both inadequate and excessive intakes of magnesium and calcium are associated with an increased incidence of nerve dysfunction, , highlighting the importance of having adequate magnesium levels.

Beyond its physical benefits, magnesium supports brain function, contributing to cognitive health and emotional wellbeing. It plays a critical role in enhancing sleep, which is necessary for recovery. Scientific research has found that participants supplementing with magnesium showed marked improvements in sleep quality and mood. Supplementing with magnesium can also help help improve subjective measures of insomnia such as the insomnia severity index score, sleep efficiency, sleep time, sleep onset latency, and early morning awakening, as well as objective measures like melatonin and cortisol concentrations. Longitudinal observational studies have also shown that higher magnesium intake is associated with better sleep quality and duration.