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The role of Magnesium: What does it help, deficiency, which one to choose for athletes?

06.06.2024

Table of contents

  1. 1.Magnesium for cramps, fatigue and stress. Which magnesium is right for athletes?
  2. 2.Magnesium and itsproperties
  3. 3.Magnesium for athletes
  4. 4.Magnesium deficiency
  5. 5.Which is the best magnesium?
  6. 6.Magnesium + vitamin B6, or the perfect duo

Magnesium for cramps, fatigue and stress. Which magnesium is right for athletes?

Magnesium is a hard-working mineral - it is involved in more than 600 (!) reactions in the body. Even as you read this sentence, magnesium affects neurotransmission and the work of your brain. Before training, it will take part in the process of converting food into energy, during activity it will support proper heart function, and when you finish exercising - magnesium will take part in the formation of new proteins from amino acids and prevent cramps. Magnesium is an important micronutrient, especially in an athlete's diet.

Magnesium and itsproperties

In the body, magnesium [1-4]:

  • Isinvolved in more than 600 biochemical reactions.
  • Is the primary regulator of the cell cycle.
  • Interacts with numerous defense mechanisms.
  • Supports the proper functioning of the nervous, cardiovascular and muscular systems.
  • Strengthens the skeletal system and prevents osteoporosis.
  • Facilitates the absorption of calcium into bone cells.
  • Supports muscle regeneration.
  • Influences mood.
  • Has a beneficial effect on sleep.
  • Regulates reactions to stress and mental tension.

Important: Athletes - did you know that exercise increases the loss of magnesium through urine and sweat, which can increase magnesium requirements by 10-20% [5]?

What does magnesium help with?

Adequate amounts of magnesium help maintain proper function of the nervous, cardiovascular, muscular and skeletal systems. It also supports mood and sleep quality, which is beneficial for recovery. Clinical studies also suggest that magnesium helps reduce symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome) [6] and migraine [7].

Magnesium for athletes

Physically active people may need more magnesium in their diets. Clinical studies to date have shown that magnesium supplementation can provide athletes with many benefits:

  • It enhances performance during exercise [8]: Magnesium helps transport sugar from the blood to the muscles and gets rid of lactic acid, which can build up during exercise and cause fatigue. One study involving 2,570 women linked higher magnesium intake to increased muscle mass and strength [9].
     
  • Regulates water and electrolyte balance [10]: Magnesium has a direct effect on the balance of other electrolytes (sodium, calcium and potassium). Hypomagnesemia often occurs along with hypocalcemia (low blood calcium levels) and hypokalemia (low blood potassium levels).
     
  • Improves sleep quality: Regeneration is as important for athletes as training. One study of 46 participants who took magnesium for 8 weeks reported shorter sleep duration, improved sleep quality and reduced insomnia symptoms [11]. Magnesium binds to receptors for the hormone GABA, which calms the nervous system [12,13].
     
  • It supports nervous system function [14]: Adequate amounts of magnesium in the body support the normal function of the brain and nervous system, maintain normal psychological functions, and contribute to reducing feelings of fatigue and tiredness.

Magnesium deficiency

Magnesium deficiency occurs when its concentration in the blood falls below 0.65 mmol/L.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include [15]:

  • muscle spasms,
  • sensory disturbances,
  • fatigue and muscle weakness,
  • irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia),
  • apathy, irritability, malaise,
  • decreased appetite.

Remember: 99% of the body's magnesium is in cells, and only 1% is in extracellular fluid, including blood [16]. Therefore, a blood test to determine magnesium concentration may not be reliable.

Which is the best magnesium?

The best magnesium has a high bioavailability. Studies suggest that one of the most bioactive and absorbed forms into the bloodstream is magnesium citrate [17-18]. This organic form of magnesium is bound to citric acid. This acid occurs naturally in citrus fruits, giving them a sour taste [19].

Magnesium + vitamin B6, or the perfect duo

Magnesium citrate and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) are often found together in dietary supplements because the vitamin increases the bioavailability and absorption of magnesium into the bloodstream [20-22]. Pyridoxine is also as busy as magnesium in your body - it is actively involved in more than 100 enzymatic reactions [23].


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[2] Tarleton EK, Littenberg B. Magnesium intake and depression in adults. J Am Board Fam Med. 2015 Mar-Apr;28(2):249-56. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2015.02.140176. PMID: 25748766. .x;

[3] Setaro L, Santos-Silva PR, Nakano EY, Sales CH, Nunes N, Greve JM, Colli C. Magnesium status and the physical performance of volleyball players: effects of magnesium supplementation. J Sports Sci. 2014;32(5):438-45. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2013.828847. Epub 2013 Sep 9. PMID: 24015935. 

[4] Iseri LT, French JH. Magnesium: nature's physiologic calcium blocker. Am Heart J. 1984 Jul;108(1):188-93. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(84)90572-6. PMID: 6375330. 

[5] Nielsen FH, Lukaski HC. Update on the relationship between magnesium and exercise. Magnes Res. 2006 Sep;19(3):180-9. PMID: 17172008 

[6] von Luckner A, Riederer F. Magnesium in Migraine Prophylaxis-Is There an Evidence-Based Rationale? A Systematic Review. Headache. 2018 Feb;58(2):199-209. doi: 10.1111/head.13217. Epub 2017 Nov 13. PMID: 29131326. 

[7] Shahrami A, Assarzadegan F, Hatamabadi HR, Asgarzadeh M, Sarehbandi B, Asgarzadeh S. Comparison of therapeutic effects of magnesium sulfate vs. dexamethasone/metoclopramide on alleviating acute migraine headache. J Emerg Med. 2015 Jan;48(1):69-76. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2014.06.055. Epub 2014 Sep 30. PMID: 25278139. 

[8] Zhang Y, Xun P, Wang R, Mao L, He K. Can Magnesium Enhance Exercise Performance? Nutrients. 2017 Aug 28;9(9):946. doi: 10.3390/nu9090946. PMID: 28846654; PMCID: PMC5622706 

[9] Welch AA, Kelaiditi E, Jennings A, Steves CJ, Spector TD, MacGregor A. Dietary Magnesium Is Positively Associated With Skeletal Muscle Power and Indices of Muscle Mass and May Attenuate the Association Between Circulating C-Reactive Protein and Muscle Mass in Women. J Bone Miner Res. 2016 Feb;31(2):317-25. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.2692. Epub 2015 Sep 11. PMID: 26288012. 

[10] Weglicki W, Quamme G, Tucker K, Haigney M, Resnick L. Potassium, magnesium, and electrolyte imbalance and complications in disease management. Clin Exp Hypertens. 2005 Jan;27(1):95-112. doi: 10.1081/ceh-200044275. PMID: 15773233 

[11] Abbasi B, Kimiagar M, Sadeghniiat K, Shirazi MM, Hedayati M, Rashidkhani B. The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Res Med Sci. 2012 Dec;17(12):1161-9. PMID: 23853635; PMCID: PMC3703169 

[12] Poleszak E. Benzodiazepine/GABA(A) receptors are involved in magnesium-induced anxiolytic-like behavior in mice. Pharmacol Rep. 2008 Jul-Aug;60(4):483-9. PMID: 18799816 

[13] Gottesmann C. GABA mechanisms and sleep. Neuroscience. 2002;111(2):231-9. doi: 10.1016/s0306-4522(02)00034-9. PMID: 11983310. 

[14] Pickering G, Mazur A, Trousselard M, Bienkowski P, Yaltsewa N, Amessou M, Noah L, Pouteau E. Magnesium Status and Stress: The Vicious Circle Concept Revisited. Nutrients. 2020 Nov 28;12(12):3672. doi: 10.3390/nu12123672. PMID: 33260549; PMCID: PMC7761127 

[15] Gragossian A, Bashir K, Bhutta BS, et al. Hypomagnesemia. [Updated 2023 Nov 30]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500003/ 

[16] DiNicolantonio JJ, O'Keefe JH, Wilson W. Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis. Open Heart. 2018 Jan 13;5(1):e000668. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2017-000668. Erratum in: Open Heart. 2018 Apr 5;5(1):e000668corr1. PMID: 29387426; PMCID: PMC5786912 

[17] Werner T, Kolisek M, Vormann J, Pilchova I, Grendar M, Struharnanska E, Cibulka M. Assessment of bioavailability of Mg from Mg citrate and Mg oxide by measuring urinary excretion in Mg-saturated subjects. Magnes Res. 2019 Aug 1;32(3):63-71. doi: 10.1684/mrh.2019.0457. PMID: 32162607.
 

[18] Rylander R. Bioavailability of magnesium salts—A review. J. Pharm. Nutr. Sci. 2014;4:57–59. doi: 10.6000/1927-5951.2014.04.01.8. 

[19] PubChem, National Center of Biotechnology Information https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/citric_acid 

[20] Noah L, Dye L, Bois De Fer B, Mazur A, Pickering G, Pouteau E. Effect of magnesium and vitamin B6 supplementation on mental health and quality of life in stressed healthy adults: Post-hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial. Stress Health. 2021 Dec;37(5):1000-1009. doi: 10.1002/smi.3051. Epub 2021 May 6. PMID: 33864354; PMCID: PMC9292249. 

[21] Ranade VV, Somberg JC. Bioavailability and Pharmacokinetics of Magnesium After Administration of Magnesium Salts to Humans. Am J Ther. 2001;8: 345–357 

[22] Pouteau E, Kabir-Ahmadi M, Noah L, Mazur A, Dye L, Hellhammer J, Pickering G, Dubray C. Superiority of magnesium and vitamin B6 over magnesium alone on severe stress in healthy adults with low magnesemia: A randomized, single-blind clinical trial. PLoS One. 2018 Dec 18;13(12):e0208454. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208454. PMID: 30562392; PMCID: PMC6298677. 

[23] National Institutes of Health (2024) https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-Consumer/