Controls Muscular Contractions
Magnesium is a hidden benefactor of exercise performance. In the skeletal muscles, calcium binds to proteins like troponin C and myosin, but magnesium can do the same job, resulting in more relaxed muscles. Similarly, during exercise, your body requires 10-20% more magnesium than when you are resting, depending on the intensity of the activity. The reason is that magnesium shuttles blood sugar to the muscles for energy while simultaneously disposing of lactic acid, which causes the muscle burn during bouts of exercise.
Several studies have proven that when athletes and those with chronic diseases take magnesium supplements, they see a boost in exercise performance. Furthermore, one study had professional volleyball players take a 250 mg magnesium supplement per day for the period of the research and found improvements in jumping power and arm movements.
Another group of researchers reported that athletes on a magnesium supplement for 4 weeks increased their running, cycling, and swimming speeds during a triathlon. Those athletes also had a reduced level of cortisol and insulin.
But that’s not all. Because magnesium can help control muscular contractions, those who suffer from seizures, menstrual cramping or pregnant women with pre-eclampsia or eclampsia are often prescribed magnesium sulfate to lessen the uncomfortable muscle spasms.
