Magnesium and it’s importance to performance
Magnesium is one of many electrolytes in your body and normal levels of magnesium are important for the maintenance of heart and nervous system function. Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and contributes too over 300 biochemical reactions, from protein synthesis and energy production to nerve and muscle function. Even the slightest deficiency can affect your health and well-being as well as your athletic performance.
Low magnesium levels make vitamin D ineffective, as the body cannot metabolise vitamin D without sufficient magnesium levels. If your diet is low in magnesium, you’re likely deficient in vitamin D too. This vitamin aids in calcium absorption, keeping your bones strong. During exercise, you’re losing magnesium through sweat and urine. That’s why physically active athletes need 10% to 20% more magnesium compared to the average person. A low magnesium intake can affect your performance, suppress immune function, and cause nausea, weakness or arrhythmias (a condition in which the heart beats with abnormal rhythm).
A recent study of competitive triathletes competing in an event consisting of a 500-meter swim, a 20-km bicycle race, and a 5-km run found that those who took magnesium supplements for four weeks experienced reductions in cortisol and insulin levels and had faster cycling, running, and swimming times during a race. This mineral improves exercise performance by increasing glucose availability in blood, brain, and muscles. At the same time, it reduces and delays lactate accumulation, leading to faster post-workout recovery. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to muscle cramps and soreness, decreased endurance, elevated blood pressure, and fatigue.
Owing to industrialised agriculture and changes in dietary habits, research has found the magnesium consumption from natural foods has decreased in recent decades. Low magnesium is a modern ‘western disease’ as the population consume more processed foods that are high in refined grains, fat, phosphate, and sugar. Magnesium is not produced by the body, so it needs to be ingested daily through the consumption of magnesium-rich foods You can get magnesium naturally in many foods such as whole grains, nuts, spinach, peanut butter, beans, bananas, milk, and salmon. A good source of magnesium is ‘Brown Rice’. which contains four times more magnesium than its white counterpart. This should be reason enough to get more of it in your diet to ensure your body maintain good health. As an athlete, you need magnesium to perform at your peak and get the energy needed for intense training.
