Magnesium Health Watch

Poor diet is one of the main reasons for mineral deficiencies in athletes.   When consumed with training, many people don’t pay enough attention to their dietary intake and increasing their nutrients based on activity level.     Magnesium is tied to energy activation in muscles, nerves and bloodflow.

This article makes one food recommendation for cyclists in need of magnesium that we’ve never seen discussed:

“Liquorice is a good source of magnesium, but choose the original black variety made from molasses rather than brightly coloured Allsorts. Liquorice can provide a dose of fast release carbohydrate and is a useful snack to carry on a ride. If you decide to take a magnesium supplement, choose the citrate form or magnesium chelated with amino acids. These are twice as well absorbed as magnesium carbonate or sulphate.”

Nutrition: Magnesium The Magic Mineral – BikeRadar.

If you’re an athlete, you may already be considering how vitamins and minerals affect your performance.  However, magnesium is often overlooked, despite being an important part of muscle contraction and relaxation, as well as metabolism.

One study found that as a result of magnesium depletion, people’s metabolism became less efficient.  Participant’s oxygen consumption increased, as did heart rate.  This starts to establish a connection between dietary magnesium and athletic performance.

“Even athletes, who might be expected to take greater care with their diets, are not immune from magnesium deficiency; for example, studies carried out in 1986/87 revealed that gymnasts, footballers and basketball players were consuming only around 70% of the RDA(14), while female runners fared even worse, with reported intakes as low as 59% of the RDA(15). Given magnesium’s vital role in energy production, two key questions emerge:

1. Can these all-too-common sub-optimum dietary magnesium intakes impair athletic performance?
2. Could extra magnesium intake, over and above RDA levels, enhance performance?

Bodybuilding.com – Magnesium: Why Magnesium Matters To Athletes! – Andrew Hamilton.