Magnesium (Mg) is a chemical element playing several major roles in human health and performance. It is present in every type of cell in the human body.
Relative to human performance, Magnesium plays a considerable role in the action of ATP. ATP, or adenosine triphosphate is the major marker responsible for transporting energy within a cell. The importance of Mg for human performance is thus obvious.
In animal trials, symptoms of magnesium deficiency include muscle weakness – suggesting a key role of magnesium in strength production – a vital point for athletes.
In human trials, “Inadequate magnesium intake frequently causes musclespasms, and has been associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, migraines, osteoporosis and cerebral infarction” (Wikipedia).
The benefits of this form of supplementation are apparent, but how do foods contained within the recommendations as set by Range of Motions Official Position on Nutrition act to provide magnesium. As magnesium is soluble and dissolvable in water, processed foods contain much lower levels of magnesium (due to the role on water in much processing). This only acts as further evidence for the avoidance of much refined foods. Foods high in magnesium include green leafy vegetables (due to the high levels of chlorophyll – high in magnesium). Nuts and seeds are also particularly high in magnesium. Pumpkin seeds in particular contain 600mg of magnesium per 100 grams.
The evidence supporting the importance of magnesium is compelling and varied:
- Magnesium has been shown to play a major role in the regulation of the glycolytic energy pathway – responsible for energy production for efforts ranging from 5 to 20 minutes,
- “Limited data have suggested that magnesium status is indirectly related to strength improvement as well as the incidence of muscle cramps.”
- “The Dietary Reference Intake for magnesium for adults is 310 to 420 mg/day. However, the intake of magnesium in humans is often suboptimal… Physical exercise may deplete magnesium, which, together with a marginal dietary magnesium intake, may impair energy metabolism efficiency and the capacity for physical work… Recently, magnesium has been touted as an agent for increasing athletic performance. This article reviews the various studies that have been conducted to investigate the relationship of magnesium and exercise.”
- Strenuous exercise induces magnesium deficiency and may play a role in rhabdomyolysis.
- Magnesium in athletes influences the regulation of exercise-induced stress and immune function.
- “Exercise under certain conditions appears to lead to Mg depletion and may worsen a state of deficiency when Mg intake is inadequate. The positive effects (analysis after a minimum period of one month) of a simple oral supplement administered in physiological doses (5 mg/kg body weight/day) provides evidence for the existence of a deficiency.”
- “…findings indicate that dietary magnesium depletion can be induced in otherwise healthy women; it results in increased energy needs and adversely affects cardiovascular function during submaximal work. This may also explain previous observations of increased energy cost during standardized exercise in physically active men and women considered to have reduced magnesium nutriture.”
- “Most evidence indicates no effect of Mg supplementation on performance (strength, anaerobic-lactacid, and aerobic). When only peak treadmill speed during a VO2max test is examined, the strength of evidence is equivocal. Trained subjects appear to benefit less than untrained subjects, but this observation requires further study.”
- “Four weeks of Mg oxide supplementation improves resting [iMg] levels but not performance or recovery in physically active women.”
- “Significant differences in T gains after strength training were demonstrated in magnesium supplemented vs control groups.”
- “These results suggest that magnesium supplementation positively influences the performance of training athletes by increasing erythrocyte and hemoglobin levels.”
- “There is evidence that dietary magnesium intake may be suboptimal in some individuals, thus dietary supplementation of this element may be useful in some population groups.”
The final word:
Much research provides evidence for the presence of magnesium deficiencies in humans. The link between such a deficiency and a drop in performance however is not as compelling. In the absence of common side effects, and should supplementation be financially viable, I do believe there is merit in supplementing a diet not already high in magnesium rich foods.
