Magnesium and endurance sports

The mineral for your muscles

You may have experienced it during training: a stabbing pain in your calf, a cramped thigh muscle. This is often due to excessive loss of magnesium. The mineral is particularly important for you as an endurance athlete. Find out here how to optimally replenish your storage before or after exercise.

Magnesium is a real all-rounder. Your body needs the mineral for the function of the muscles and heart , metabolism and protein synthesis, for the nerves and bones. As an electrolyte, i.e. an electrically charged compound, it transmits nerve impulses. The mineral is vital for the human organism:

• Metabolism: Magnesium activates more than 300 enzymes. These are protein molecules that regenerate cells, absorb carbohydrates and eliminate waste products in the body.
• Muscles: The mineral relaxes the muscles and increases their performance.
• Nerves: Magnesium regulates overstimulated nerve cells and reduces the release of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol.
• Heart: As an electrolyte, the mineral generates electrical impulses in the cells of the heart and transmits them from cell to cell.
• Bone: The mineral is involved in the stable structure of bones. Of the 25 to 30 grams of magnesium in the body, around 60 percent is bound in the bones.

Important to know: Your body cannot produce magnesium itself. It is only absorbed through food. How much of it do you need? According to the German Nutrition Society, DGE for short, adults need between 300 and 350 milligrams daily. You can easily achieve this amount if strong sources of magnesium such as whole grain products, soft fruits and green leafy vegetables end up on your plate every day.

The table shows you some foods with a lot of magnesium:

Groceries	Magnesium content in milligrams per 100 grams
Cashews	292
oatmeal	270
Pumpkin seeds	262
Dark chocolate	175
hazelnuts	156
spinach	60
Whole grain bread	54
Bananas	36
Blackberries	33
Emmental	33

When it comes to drinks, certain mineral waters contain a lot of magnesium - just pay attention to the mineral content when purchasing. Coffee and tea only provide very small amounts of the mineral.

Looking at the table values, it seems easy to refill the magnesium reservoir every day. In fact, almost 26 percent of German women and 29 percent of men stay below the recommended daily amount due to an unbalanced diet or stress. Over time , undersupply can lead to a variety of symptoms - including leg cramps and tension, dizziness, exhaustion and nervousness. If the symptoms persist for a longer period of time, it is best to contact your family doctor.

If you do cardio and strength training or are in the middle of marathon preparation , a magnesium-rich diet is particularly worthwhile for you. A US study found that test subjects gained muscle mass faster as a result. Another study also showed that the participants became more productive overall through targeted magnesium intake. Optimal care only brings you advantages: If you master your everyday life with vitality and strength, it doesn't take unnecessary energy away from you for your sport - and vice versa.

Magnesium: That's why you need it for endurance training

Magnesium makes your muscles resilient: While calcium activates and contracts the muscles, magnesium relaxes them as a so-called antagonist. The mineral dampens the transmission of excitation in the nerve cells and prevents your body from releasing too many stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline).

When you exercise, the balance of the two minerals is occasionally disturbed - simply because you release minerals through sweating. If your magnesium loss is too high, you may have felt it several times. Then you are plagued by cramps in your calves or feet, or perhaps your thigh muscles are tense .

Intensive endurance training adds something else: stress to the human organism. And under stress, the body releases a lot of cortisol and adrenaline . Your body releases even more magnesium. The excess is then excreted not only through the skin, but also through the urine.

If you train a lot, you often lose too much magnesium through sweating. Before or after exercise, you can quickly replenish your mineral stores with sports products.

So that a loss of minerals doesn't put you out of action in the middle of a competition, you should probably take magnesium as a preventive measure before exercise . Studies suggest this. Even after exercise, targeted intake can help you regenerate and relax your muscles quickly. If there is a medically proven deficiency, a high-dose course of up to two months may even be necessary. You may also need a supply of sodium, calcium and other minerals. It's best to discuss this with your doctors.

Magnesium: Prevent or quickly compensate for losses

Sweating is of course unavoidable and even healthy during endurance sports. Toxins are eliminated and body temperature is regulated. But the physical strain is also draining: your blood vessels dilate, your heart beats faster, your muscles tense - and, along with other minerals, you lose up to 2.5 milligrams of magnesium per liter of sweat .

So fill up your magnesium stores as quickly as possible so that you always achieve your personal best. These products from the endurance range from Dextro Energy* will support you:

Zero° Calories in the Lime variety contains magnesium, sodium, calcium, potassium and chloride. The prepared drink provides you with both electrolytes and fluids, supporting muscle function ¹ . Dissolve one tablet in a liter of water - and you'll get 56.25 milligrams of magnesium in a delicious way.Isotonic drinks also provide you with magnesium quickly and easily: Iso Fast in the Fruit Mix variety ensures better muscle function with a mineral complex with magnesium ^1,2 . You always have the drink within easy reach in thedrinking bottle .

Do you like to snack between meals? The Vanilla Energy* Bar contains proteins and a carbohydrate mix. It thus contributes to building and maintaining muscle mass. Energy* Gums in the cassis variety have 703 milligrams of magnesium per 100 grams. They also contain quickly available dextrose, which contributes to your body's carbohydrate supply.

Dextrose cubes with additional magnesium contain 300 milligrams of the mineral per 100 grams. They also get into your blood quickly when you need them. Sports tablets with magnesium and vitamin B1 promote the proper functioning of your muscles with 63.75 milligrams of magnesium per tablet ¹ . Simply let the chewable tablets dissolve in your mouth or chew them before or after exercise.

Magnesium: Stable muscle function, strong performance

Running, strength training, swimming as endurance sport: Whatever you do, optimal muscle strength will lead you to your sporting goals faster. Discover magnesium-rich products that will further improve your performance.

 

*Contains carbohydrates

° Applies to the prepared drink

¹ Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function.

² Carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions help maintain endurance performance during prolonged endurance training and improve water absorption during physical activity.

 

A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.

SOURCES

Predel, HG, Weisser, B., Latsch, J., Schramm, T., Hohlfeld, A., & Randerrath, O. (2017). Magnesium in Ambitious Popular Sport – an update. German Journal of Sports Medicine, 68(1), 5-9.

Brilla, L.R., & Haley, T.F. (2013). Effect of magnesium supplementation on strength training in humans. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 1992(3), 326-329.

Zhang, Y., Xun, P., Wang, R., Mao, L., & He, K. (2017). Can Magnesium Enhance Exercise Performance?. Nutrients, 9(9), 946.

PHOTO CREDITS

all images: @iStock