Why I love Magnesium!
Magnesium is ubiquitous in foods, but the amount varies widely depending on the food source. This mineral enters our diet mostly from plants like in whole grains and vegetables such as spinach and potatoes (good sources of magnesium, as are legumes, tofu, and some types of seafood).
Refined foods are low in magnesium content (kind of a no-brainer lol) and processed grains lose up to 80 percent of their magnesium, and enrichment unfortunately doesn't replace it. Chocolate contains modest amounts of magnesium, but unfortunately not enough to compensate for its high fat and calorie content. But there's always tap water! Haha, just kidding. I'm a bottled water kind of girl... but if you were wondering - Tap water can also be a significant source of the mineral in some communities with “hard” water (yummy!). Total magnesium intake usually is proportional to calorie intake, so therefore the budding adolescents and adult men have higher intakes than women (because we are the perpetual yo-yo dieter, always-on-a-diet breed, thus reducing caloric intake and by extension not meeting adequate needs for magnesium) and older adults.
We generally absorb about 50 percent of dietary magnesium. Although high-fiber diets often have a negative effect on mineral absorption, high-fiber foods containing fermentable carbohydrates (e.g., resistant starch, oligosaccharides, and pectin) actually improve magnesium absorption. High calcium intake, usually in the form of supplements, can interfere with magnesium absorption. This is another reason why food is a better source of nutrients than supplements. People who must take calcium supplements should be sure to regularly eat foods with high magnesium content.
For me, since my method of birth control (depo shot) has it's concerns on women’s bone mineral density, I have been advised by my doc to supplement my diet with a chelated calcium. But another kicker with me is that I know I'm not going to eat a diet focused on high magnesium content. I know that sounds silly but I've just got far too much going on and I'm a sucker for simplicity and reduced stress. So, I chose to supplement with a great magnesium (there are some crappy ones out there so research a little) to aid me in this. But there's also another reason you may want to look into this mineral if you are an avid weight lifter or exercise enthusiast. Performance.
For Example:
In a very tightly controlled three-month US study carried out in 2005, the effects of magnesium depletion on exercise performance in 10 women were observed - and the results make fascinating reading. In the first month, the women received a magnesium-deficient diet (112mgs per day), which was supplemented with 200mgs per day of magnesium to bring the total magnesium content up to the RDA of 310mgs per day. In the second month, the supplement was withdrawn to make the diet magnesium-deficient, but in the third month it was reintroduced to replenish magnesium levels.
At the end of each month, the women were asked to cycle at increasing intensities until they reached 80% of their maximum heart rate, at which time a large number of measurements were taken, including blood tests, ECG and respiratory gas analysis.
The researchers found that, for a given workload, peak oxygen uptake, total and cumulative net oxygen utilization and heart rate all increased significantly during the period of magnesium restriction, with the amount of the increase directly related to the extent of magnesium depletion. In plain English, a magnesium deficiency reduced metabolic efficiency, increasing the oxygen consumption and heart rate required to perform work - exactly what an athlete doesn't want! Yes I know that study says the purposefully DEPLETED the women's magnesium but read on...
So What's The Take-Home Message, Especially If You Regularly Workout?
First, it's all too easy to go short of magnesium, especially if your diet is light on foods like whole grains and cereals, green leafy vegetables, pulses (peas/beans/lentils), nuts and seeds (I'll be the first to raise my hand). To make matters worse, excessive sugar intake, alcohol consumption and diets high in fats, protein and calcium have all been shown to impair magnesium absorption and/or increase excretion (FYI: I do not fall into this category!).
Even when the quality of food is good and the diet carefully balanced, diets containing fewer than 2,000 calories per day often struggle to meet magnesium needs, placing those on weight loss or maintenance regimes at added risk.
Another reason why I love and use magnesium? The rock solid sleep I get when I take it!! It's a great muscle relaxant! I take it in a tablet for some of the best sound sleep I've ever had! Read here for more on that! You can also do magnesium baths if you have the time and love a good soak :)
Until Next Time!! I wish you health, happiness and heavy lifts!
-Brandi
