Do I need magnesium during exercise?

Written by: Martijn Redegeld

More than 100 million dollars are spent on magnesium supplements worldwide each year. Partly due to the enormously varied range of magnesium supplements, and the large variety of claims that are often included, this makes it one of the best-selling supplements in the world. However, this ever-growing interest in magnesium around sports seems to be at odds with the lack of scientific evidence that should support these claims. This is also the reason why Amacx no longer has Magnesium in its range as a separate product. How this works exactly, and whether you need extra magnesium around your workouts, you can read in this blog.

Magnesium is one of the electrolytes that we naturally obtain from our food. It is found in grain products, vegetables, nuts, dairy products and meat. Various processes in our body require magnesium. For example, it is necessary for the formation of bones, the functioning of our muscles and the transmission of stimuli in our nervous system. The recommended daily intake for adult men is 350 milligrams per day, for women it is 300 milligrams per day. A higher daily intake is pointless, and can even lead to serious intestinal complaints. A magnesium deficiency rarely or never occurs, because it is very easy to obtain from normal food. Some examples of this can be found in the table below.

Intensive and prolonged training does not lead to increased magnesium requirements

Contrary to what is often claimed by suppliers of magnesium supplements, intensive and/or long-term training does not lead to an increased need for magnesium. Although increased magnesium losses through sweat are often given as a reason, scientific research shows that the magnesium concentration in sweat is very low. Even with very large sweat losses, people lose a very small amount of magnesium through sweat. For example, researchers had test subjects cycle for 8 hours at a temperature of 37 degrees (!). On average, they lost between 15 and 20 grams of magnesium, which is equivalent to 1 slice of bread or 1 glass of milk. This shows that you can keep your magnesium level excellently maintained through your normal basic diet, even if you exercise a lot.

Why magnesium deficiency is not a cause of muscle cramps during exercise

A link is also often made between a lack of magnesium and the development of muscle cramps during exercise. This is also contradicted by many scientific publications. The cause of these cramps is often a complex combination of many factors. Muscle fatigue often plays a central role in this, which can be exacerbated by efforts that are far outside your comfort zone (longer/heavier/different than you are used to). New footwear or a new position on the bike can also pose a risk of cramps, because you use your muscles in a different way than usual. In addition, cramps seem to occur more often in warm conditions due to dehydration (too little fluid). The only electrolyte that plays a role in this is sodium, because this is the only electrolyte that we lose in our sweat to a greater extent. There is no scientific evidence for a role that a magnesium deficiency plays in the development of cramps, or for a role that magnesium supplementation can play in resolving them. For this reason, the various Amacx products contain relatively large amounts of sodium, and only very limited amounts of magnesium.

Which Amacx products contain sodium?

• Drink Gel 200mg natrium
• Turbo Gel 200mg natrium
• Energy Fruit Chew 100mg  natrium
• Energy Nougat 50mg  natrium
• Fast Bar 45mg  natrium
• Turbo Chew Bar 39mg natrium
• Energy Ice Gel 200mg  natrium
• Turbo Ice Gel 200mg natrium
• Energy Drink 372mg natrium (per serving)
• Turbo Drink 160mg natrium (per serving)
• Recovery Bar 45mg natrium
• Recovery Shake 232mg natrium
• Hydro Tabs 205mg natrium (per tab)

Do you regularly experience cramps during exercise? Then it is advisable to look at the above issues that may be the cause.

In summary:

• Magnesium plays an important role in our body, including being involved in proper muscle function and nerve conduction.

• A magnesium deficiency is very rare because you can get more than enough magnesium from a healthy and varied diet.

• Intensive exercise does not increase the need for magnesium. Moreover, you lose so little magnesium in your sweat that you can easily replenish it with a normal diet.

• There is no scientific evidence showing that magnesium supplementation can prevent muscle cramps, and the claims made in this regard are therefore baseless.

• If you experience cramps regularly, the cause may be a suboptimal fluid and/or sodium intake. However, the cause may also lie outside your diet.

 

Are you curious about the difference between Amacx sports drinks and the standard sports drinks from the supermarket? Read the blog here.