Magnesium: Fueling endurance and athletic performance
Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just beginning your fitness journey, magnesium is an essential mineral for conquering longer distances, setting new personal bests, and going the extra mile.
It may be your missing link to unlocking sustained energy, faster recovery, and improved performance in your endurance endeavors.
How magnesium deficiency impacts endurance and performance
When you’re really pushing it during exercise, your body’s energy factories work overtime, releasing energy for all those muscle moves. Magnesium converts glucose into available energy (also known as adenosine triphosphate or ATP), restoring depleted muscles and turning food into up to 36 units of energy. However, if magnesium is in short supply, this energy production can take a hit, leaving you feeling tired, low on power, and maybe even dealing with muscle cramps or twitches.
Beyond exercise, chronic magnesium shortages aren’t just about muscles. They can interfere with your bone strength, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Athletes often brush off fatigue, cramps, or immune changes as part of the game, but a simple magnesium shortage might be at the root of these troubles.
Why do athletes and active persons require more magnesium?
When we exercise, we’re not just building strength; we’re also causing a temporary increase in inflammation. Now, a bit of inflammation is your body’s way of saying, “Hey, we’re working here!” But here’s the catch—high performance athletes, who are always pushing their bodies to the limit, can sometimes take inflammation to the next level.
This inflammation can lead to oxidative stress and too much oxidative stress from intense training can lead to chronic inflammation and muscle wear and tear, interfering with your recovery, energy levels, and even your mood. To add to the challenge, athletes lose approximately 20% of magnesium through sweat and urine during intense workouts. Yes, that’s a significant hit! This magnesium loss can be even more significant if you’re cutting calories for weight loss or following a strict diet.
But low magnesium not only raises the risk of muscle damage during exercise, it can also affect your recovery process.
Magnesium, muscle health and recovery
It’s not just about crossing the finish line; it’s about how quickly you bounce back for the next challenge. Magnesium aids in reducing muscle fatigue and cramping, enabling faster recovery after those exhaustive training sessions.
Muscle cramps commonly stem from an overload of calcium in our muscles. Magnesium however, steps in to expel excessive calcium from our cells, and not only prevents the buildup of calcium but also works its magic, re-absorbing any unwanted calcification that may have already taken place. Proper muscle relaxation and contraction are crucial for any athlete, and magnesium takes center stage in ensuring these processes unfold seamlessly.
Magnesium pulls double duty in supporting muscle repair and recovery by aiding in protein synthesis—an essential process post-exercise. For endurance athletes seeking to optimize recovery, magnesium supplementation could be a game-changer. Plus, it supports proper electrolyte balance, essential for hydration and muscle function during endurance activities.
Endurance and bone health
Endurance and bone health are crucial for athletes, especially runners who rely on strong bones for optimal performance.
Bones are what hold us together, supporting every move we make from daily activities to intense workouts. Bone tissue is very dynamic because our bodies constantly remodel it by dissolving and replacing minerals to keep our bones healthy. When bones are dissolving and losing minerals faster than they can be replaced, conditions like osteoporosis can occur. This can make the bones hollow, porous and very susceptible to fractures.
However, there are ways to help maintain optimal bone health. And it all starts with understanding which nutrients our bones love. While calcium is crucial for bones, it needs magnesium by its side to do its job effectively. Magnesium works in harmony with vitamin D to help calcium do its bone-building magic.
Have you been taking extra calcium but not seeing an improvement in your bone mineral density (BMD)? Without enough magnesium, calcium struggles to find its place in your bones.
And when it comes to building and maintaining bone strength, magnesium stimulates the production of calcitonin, the hormone responsible for inhibiting cells (osteoclasts) that breaks bone down and activates alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme that forms new calcium crystals in bones.
How can magnesium help reduce fatigue in endurance activities?
Ever wondered what fuels your muscles during those grueling long runs or intense workouts? Magnesium plays a pivotal role in the production of ATP, the energy currency of your cells. This means more magnesium equals more energy available for those extended periods of exertion, helping you go that extra mile without hitting the wall.
A study on physically active students, which showed that supplementing with 8mg of magnesium per kilo of body weight per day produced significant increases in endurance performance and decreased oxygen consumption during sub-maximal exercise.
Magnesium supplements that go the distance
So, how do you bolster your magnesium levels? While magnesium-rich foods like nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and whole grains form a solid foundation, some athletes may benefit from supplements. Magnesium supplements can offer a convenient way to bridge the gap and ensure your body receives the required dose of this hardworking mineral.
CanPrev’s Magnesium Bis-Glycinate 200 Gentle contains as much as 20% more elemental magnesium than other magnesium supplements. It works to restore magnesium to optimum levels and help fuel all the important functions it’s called on to perform. It offers a potent, therapeutic dose of 200mg of pure elemental magnesium in a form known for its superior absorption and gentleness on the bowels – all in easy to swallow vegetable capsules or powder with no fillers.
ElectroMag Effervescent Drink Mix delivers a shocking 150mg of elemental magnesium with vitamin C and electrolytes, all in a refreshing effervescent drink. It’s an ideal form whether you’re training for a triathlon or enjoying an active life.
Questions answered in this article:
- How does a magnesium deficiency affect endurance and performance?
- Why do athletes and active individuals need more magnesium?
- How does magnesium contribute to muscle health and recovery?
- How does magnesium support bone health?
- How can magnesium help reduce fatigue in endurance activities?
- Which magnesium formulas support endurance and active lifestyles?
