Is magnesium the missing ingredient in your gym performance?

Magnesium is an important mineral to deliver peak performance in the gym due to the numerous important processes in which it is involved.

Magnesium is a critical co-factor (a substance the acts as a catalyst) in hundreds of enzymatic reactions¹ that happen in the body, contributing to the structural development of bone, supports normal nervous and muscular system function, and is required to synthesise DNA and RNA.

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Performance benefits

From a performance perspective, magnesium is an important mineral needed for muscle contractions, muscle tissue repair, and maintaining our electrolyte balance, which plays a critical role in proper hydration.

As such, providing your body with adequate magnesium from a supplement like Biogen Cramp Care, Biogen Salt Tablets or Biogen Magnesium Fizzy can help to prevent cramps during physical activity.

For athletes looking to optimise absorption, Biogen Magenesium Glycinate offers a highly absorbable form of magnesium, as it is bound to the chelating amino acid glycine.

Research² also shows that adequate magnesium levels can help suppress lactate production (a rate-limiting factor for sustained physical efforts), and improves glucose metabolism and availability in the brain during exercise.

Additional functions in which magnesium plays a role and can improve performance include:

• Energy production
• Anabolic hormone production
• Protein synthesis
• Blood glucose control
• Blood pressure regulation

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Link to recovery

Magnesium can support your recovery in numerous ways. Firstly, it is involved in your body’s response to oxidative stress. It is part of the process that produces the body’s so-called ‘master antioxidant’, glutathione, which helps to protect the body from the damage caused by free radicals.

And this mineral can help improve sleep quality due to its calming effects on the nervous system, which is an important element in optimal recovery.

A product like Biogen Slow Release Magnesium may support recovery with a slower absorption rate compared to other forms of magnesium due to the use of magnesium sulphate dihydrate, which is commonly used to treat magnesium deficiency.

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Stronger bones

Sufficient magnesium is important, particularly for athletes who engage in high-impact activities, because it plays a role in calcium and potassium absorption.

These minerals are also vital to enure our physiology functions optimally because these minerals are required for nerve impulse conduction, muscle contractions, and normal heart rhythm.

For this reason, magnesium is typically included in efficacious supplements like Biogen Calmag Max (along with added vitamin D) to maximise absorption.

References:

1. Magnesium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institute of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements.https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/#:~:text=Magnesium%20is%20a%20cofactor%20in,%2C%20oxidative%20phosphorylation%2C%20and%20glycolysis.
2. The effect of magnesium supplementation on lactate levels of sportsmen and sedanter. Acta Physiol Hung. 2006 Jun;93(2-3):137-44. doi: 10.1556/APhysiol.93.2006.2-3.4.

Author: Pedro van Gaalen

When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.