Does magnesium help prevent muscle cramps?

If you play sports, you’ve probably dealt with muscle spasms at some point. These annoying contractions are more common than you think and, in many cases, they’re due to a magnesium deficiency.

The fix? Make sure you get enough of this mineral, whose supplementation is gaining popularity. It’s not a magic formula, but it’s pretty close. Find out how it can help you!

What factors cause muscle cramps?

Magnesium is an essential electrolyte that needs to be replenished when lost through stress, sweating, or poor diet. Since it can’t be measured in a blood test, it’s key to recognize its deficiency signs, like tightness, slight joint shifts, or bruises on the skin.

Most cramps happen in muscles and calves. The exact cause isn’t fully known, but several reasons are considered. Check out the main ones!

• Neuromuscular control imbalance
• Trying out new physical activities
• Muscle exhaustion
• Electrolyte deficiency
• Dehydration

More and more doctors are diving deep into studying its effects and praising it. Keep in mind that extra physical effort means more sweating and higher magnesium use by the body. In these cases, upping your intake of this mineral guarantees that deficiency symptoms will vanish in just a few days.

What’s the best treatment for those painful spasms?

Got muscle cramps? If yes, and you’ll allow us a tip, forget about them “going away on their own”. You’ve probably tried stopping all sports activity, plus gently stretching and/or massaging the affected muscle.

But, have you thought about what this means for athletes or competitors? We’re afraid stretching or warming up won’t cut it for them, since it won’t replace the missing magnesium—and it’s precisely that extra boost of this mineral that can fix things!

Better to prevent with magnesium than to cure

So, it’s best to follow the saying “better safe than sorry,” which is especially true for magnesium, a mineral that’s making a strong entrance to make life easier for athletes.

No wonder, taking magnesium is an excellent way for athletes to finally say goodbye to those unwanted muscle cramps, making sure they don’t get them before, during, or after training or competition.

Heat vs magnesium

When the heat’s on, keeping good magnesium levels is key to prevent cramps. Effort in high temperatures causes a big loss of this mineral, messing up its balance with calcium and triggering muscle contractions. While isotonic drinks replace sodium and water, they don’t cover the lack of magnesium and potassium, which are essential for performance.

Cellular heat isn’t just about outside temperature but also about missing minerals and electrolytes. Make sure you stay hydrated and get enough of these nutrients to avoid overheating.

What’s the right magnesium dose to stop cramps?

The recommended daily magnesium amount to prevent muscle cramps varies by age, sex, and activity level. Generally, the advice is:

• Adult men: 400-420 mg/day
• Adult women: 310-320 mg/day
• Athletes or people with high muscle demand: up to 500 mg/day in some cases

If cramps persist, you can try 300 mg of magnesium citrate per day, as it’s highly absorbable and helps relax muscles.

Magnesium citrate powder from RawSeries

Other well-tolerated options include magnesium bisglycinate (great if you want less laxative effect), which you can take at night to help improve sleep quality.

Magnesium bisglycinate from EssentialSeries

• If you sweat a lot or do long physical efforts, it’s important to complement with potassium and sodium, since electrolyte balance is key to avoid cramps.
• If cramps persist despite supplementation, there might be an underlying cause like dehydration, deficiency of other minerals, or circulation problems.

3 more minerals that also help

Magnesium deficiency is the number 1 cause of muscle cramps, so supplements of this mineral fit athletes “like a glove.” However, there are 3 other minerals that work well to stop cramps, some of which we just mentioned.

1. Potassium: You probably had this one in mind. “Banana, please…” The image of Rafa Nadal with a banana in hand isn’t unfamiliar, right? Its deficiency is often behind muscle weakness, issues with muscle contraction, and even heart rhythm disturbances.
2. Sodium: The most important plasma mineral, which helps retain fluids. It’s involved in muscle contraction and nerve transmission, playing a role in many metabolism-related functions (follow the link).
3. Calcium: One of the big overlooked minerals for muscles, often thought to only help bone formation. Big mistake, since it’s one of the minerals involved in muscle contractions and nerve impulse transmission.

Did you find this interesting? Keep reading

• Magnesium and bioavailability
• 10 Magnesium-rich foods
• Benefits of magnesium and why to take it
• Symptoms of magnesium deficiency