Vigorous Exercise Needs Adequate Magnesium to be Healthy – Part 2
It’s been known since 1983 that magnesium supplements can alleviate muscle spasms brought on
by exercise. Vigorous exercise induces oxidative stress which adequate magnesium status
allows the body to withstand, healthfully. Vigorous running while magnesium deficient or
marginally deficient can make the body more vulnerable to this extra oxidative stress. Immune
changes are observed with strenuous exercise; a bout of vigorous physical exercise while in
marginal or deficient magnesium status can make these immune changes larger.
It is always wise for a person engaged in vigorous physical activity to keep their magnesium
status adequate and healthy, keeping in mind that their requirements are higher than the general
population, that a strenuous race or long term training can deplete body magnesium, and that the
modern processed food diet can be lower in nutritional magnesium than their high needs require.
Vigorous exercise, such as running in a 10K race, is often a goal of the most health-conscious
individuals, not only because it brings a high sense of accomplishment, but because exercise is
known to be a healthy lifestyle choice in our modern, sedentary society. Thus it behooves
runners and those in vigorous exercise training to realize that nutritional magnesium status can
affect the body’s ability to safely engage in such vigorous physical activity.
Source: CMER Center for Magnesium Education & Research
A. Rosanoff, Ph.D., Director of Research & Information Outreach