More than 100 million dollars are spent on magnesium supplements worldwide every year. Partly due to the enormously varied range of magnesium supplements and the wide variety of claims often made on them, this makes it one of the best-selling supplements in the world. However, this ever-growing interest in magnesium in the sports world seems to be at odds with the lack of scientific evidence to support these claims. This is also the reason why Amacx no longer has Magnesium as a separate product in its range. You can read about exactly what is going on and whether you need extra magnesium around the time of your training sessions 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, and 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, if ever, occurs because it is very easy to obtain from a normal diet. Some examples of this can be found in the table below.
| MAGNESIUM PER SERVING | MILLIGRAM |
|---|---|
| 1 Handful of nuts | 55mg |
| 150g Cooked spinach | 120mg |
| 250g Whole wheat pasta | 115mg |
| 100g Chicken fillet | 35mg |
| 1 Slice of whole wheat bread | 20mg |
| 1 Glass of semi-skimmed milk | 20mg |
Intensive and long-term training does not lead to an increased need for magnesium.
Contrary to what is regularly claimed by the providers of magnesium supplements, intensive and/or long-term training does not lead to an increased need for magnesium. Although increased magnesium loss through sweat is often given as a reason, scientific research shows that the magnesium concentration in sweat is very low. Even with very high 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 easily maintain your magnesium levels through your normal basic diet, even if you do a lot of sports.
Why a magnesium deficiency is not the cause of muscle cramps during exercise
The relationship between a lack of magnesium and the occurrence of muscle cramps during exercise is also often made. 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 exertion that is far outside your comfort zone (longer/harder/different than you are used to). New footwear or a new position on the bike can also increase the risk of cramps because you are using 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 here is sodium, because this is the only electrolyte that we lose in greater quantities in our sweat. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that a magnesium deficiency plays a role in the development of cramps, or that magnesium supplementation can help remedy this. 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?
| Product | Sodium Content |
|---|---|
| Drink Gel | 200 mg |
| Turbo Gel | 200 mg |
| Energy Fruit Chew | 100 mg |
| Energy Nougat | 50 mg |
| Fast Bar | 45 mg |
| Turbo Chew Bar | 39 mg |
| Energy Ice Gel | 200 mg |
| Turbo Ice Gel | 200 mg |
| Energy Drink | 372 mg (per serving) |
| Turbo Drink | 160 mg (per serving) |
| Recovery Bar | 45 mg |
| Recovery Shake | 232 mg |
| Hydro Tabs | 205 mg (per tab) |
Do you regularly experience cramps during exercise? If so, it is advisable to look at the above issues that may be the cause.
Do you regularly experience cramps during exercise? If so, it is advisable to look at the above issues that may be the cause.
To summarise:
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Magnesium plays an important role in our body, including being involved in proper muscle function and nerve conduction.
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A magnesium deficiency is very rare because you can get more than enough magnesium from a healthy and varied diet.
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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.
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There is no scientific evidence to show that magnesium supplements can prevent muscle cramps, and the claims made in this regard are therefore unfounded.
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If you regularly experience cramps, the cause may be suboptimal fluid and/or sodium intake. However, the cause may also lie outside your diet.
