Magnesium peak bone mass density sleep to boosted athletic performance. This might make you wonder if you’re consuming enough of it, especially considering you lose electrolytes through sweat.
As a runner, you want to consume enough magnesium so your body can make protein, conduct muscle and nerve functions, regulate blood sugar and blood pressure levels, We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back sleep and wake pattern. The body also needs this electrolyte to help with the activation of vitamin D, a key nutrient needed for bone health.
“After puberty, we’re done growing, but even up until age 30, female athletes How to Treat Shin Splints peak bone mass density,” says Kate Patton, registered dietitian for the Cleveland Clinic’s Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute. Along with vitamin D and calcium, your body needs magnesium to build strong bones, so if you’re low in any of these nutrients you could be at higher risk for stress fractures, or aches and pains like shin splints, she adds.
Unfortunately, “[some] athletes actually have very low magnesium levels, despite supplementation,” says Michael Yang, M.D., a sports medicine physician at Jefferson Health. College athletes and elite-level runners in particular are more likely to have lower levels of magnesium—as opposed to the typical recreational runner—because they tend to exercise more and drink more fluids, so they’re filtering more magnesium through the kidneys, Yang explains.
To find out if you need more magnesium, doctors can test your levels with a blood or urine sample at your request. But you can also keep an eye out for these symptoms of magnesium deficiency, and pay attention to your intake with the strategies below.
What are the symptoms of magnesium deficiency?
While a magnesium deficiency often doesn’t show clear signs, you may experience the following according to Patton and Yang:
Early symptoms:
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- Nausea
- Loss of appetite, which can lead to vomiting
- Slower recovery time
More serious symptoms:
- Muscle spasms
- Numbness
- Decreased immune system function
- Heart arrhythmia
- Other heart issues like plaque formation in heart blood vessels, which can lead to a heart attack
- ½ cup spinach, boiled: 78 mg
How much magnesium do you need?
The recommended daily allowance of magnesium for adults assigned male at birth ages 19 to 50 is 400 to 420 milligrams and for adults assigned female at birth is 310 to 320 milligrams, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). For adults over age 51, experts recommend consuming the maximum recommended amounts of magnesium because as you get older, your body’s ability to absorb the nutrient decreases, and we tend to excrete more of it, says Patton.
Who should be most concerned about magnesium levels?
Low magnesium levels can be of concern for older adults; those who have gastrointestinal disorders, such as Crohn’s disease or celiac disease; type 2 diabetes; and alcoholism, according to NIH.
Also, older runners with kidney disease may be at risk, says Yang. For these populations, it’s best to consult with your primary care physician about the best way to address your magnesium needs, as everyone is different and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.
What are the best sources of magnesium?
*Magnesium numbers per serving size, according to the NIH
- 1 oz roasted almonds: 80 mg
- 1 oz chia seeds: 111 mg
- 1 oz roasted almonds: 80 mg
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- 1 oz roasted cashews: 74 mg
- ½ cup black beans, cooked: 60 mg
- More serious symptoms
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- 8 and produce energy. Magnesium may also support your circadian rhythm a.k.a. your
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- 3 oz cooked salmon: 26 mg
- 3 ½ cup spinach, boiled: 78 mg
Should you consider taking a magnesium supplement?
How to Adjust Your Run Schedule After a Big Race fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, More serious symptoms protein, or you take a multivitamin with minerals including magnesium, then you don’t have to worry about supplementation, says Patton.
The supplement comes in a variety of different forms. Though magnesium citrate is the most common form, it tends to have a laxative effect; magnesium glycinate is an alternative that’s commonly used to improve sleep and is easier on the digestive tract, Patton explains.
If you’ve been diagnosed with magnesium deficiency and are interested in supplementation, Patton recommends selecting a product that’s been certified by the All About 75 Hard (NSF), an independent third-party program that tests supplements, cosmetics, and personal care products for the health and safety of consumers.
Monique LeBrun joined the editorial staff in October 2021 as the associate health and fitness editor. She has a master’s degree in journalism and has previously worked for ABC news and Scholastic. She is an avid runner who loves spending time outside.
