Make time for magnesium today!

There are over 300 cellular processes and biochemical reactions in your body that rely on magnesium. Yes, over 300! You can see why magnesium is not only an essential mineral, but one of the most important minerals for maintaining your health, vitality and performance. Magnesium is needed by your muscles and nerves to function efficiently; it also helps your cells make energy and keeps your heart rhythm steady. Pretty important when you think of the workout your heart and muscles get when you train and compete!

News flash: magnesium improves physical endurance

Since this mineral is so important for energy production, it has a major effect on exercise capacity and fitness. In a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled scientific study, athletes given magnesium experienced increased peak oxygen uptake and significant increases in endurance performance, compared to the group taking the placebo “sugar pill”.1

Magnesium is also required for:

  • Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels
  • Breaking down protein, carbohydrate and fat to make energy
  • Regulating calcium metabolism, helping keep your bones strong
  • Keeping your blood pressure healthy
  • Enhancing muscle relaxation and relieving muscle cramps and spasms
  • Helping you cope better with stress

Do cramps, stitches, or muscle spasms affect your performance?

If you answered yes to this question, you may have low levels of magnesium. See how you measure up by considering whether you experience any of the following classic early signs of magnesium deficiency:

  • Tiredness, lethargy and fatigue – not having enough energy to get through your training or even your day
  • Muscle cramping and spasms
  • Muscle tension
  • Tension headaches and/or migraines
  • Stress
  • Nervousness and anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

If you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms on a regular basis, you may be magnesium deficient. Magnesium deficiency is a potential problem for athletes in particular as intensive training can lead to depletion of this crucial nutrient. If you become deficient in magnesium it is often difficult to restore your levels back to normal from dietary sources alone.

You are what you eat…

Magnesium is found in a wide range of foods, especially green vegetables, grains, nuts, legumes and chocolate. Animal products such as milk and meats supply some magnesium, although less than the plant based foods. Refined foods are generally low in magnesium.2 Unfortunately most diets today are deficient in magnesium and it can be difficult to get enough magnesium from your diet alone, especially if you train hard. In fact, a recent scientific study found that the daily intake of magnesium in 76% of Australian men and 86% of Australian women was below the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI). Why is this? Can’t you just eat more greens, chocolate and take a multi vitamin? Not always, as some forms of magnesium aren’t easily absorbed and modern lifestyles and training regimes may increase your magnesium requirements beyond what food and a multi vitamin can give back.

Life today has changed – so have our diets

Todays modern lifestyle actually increases daily magnesium requirements significantly. A high consumption of tea, coffee, alcohol and sugary, fatty junk foods is associated with increased risk of magnesium deficiency. So think twice next time you stop at the drive-through for a quick bite to eat. Stress can also considerably deplete magnesium levels. If you are stressed, you actually need more magnesium than usual to keep your muscles relaxed and keep your nervous system going. The irony is that during times of stress you excrete more magnesium, leaving your stores of magnesium depleted. This depletion of magnesium can leave you feeling anxious, uptight and can even affect your sleep. Does this sound familiar? Perhaps you feel like this the night before an important event? This results in a vicious cycle, whereby stress lowers your magnesium levels and low magnesium levels increase your stress. Break this vicious cycle by taking supplemental magnesium but make sure you are choosing a good form of easily-absorbable magnesium.

What’s the best magnesium for me?

There are many different forms of magnesium on the market available in supplement form. Choosing the correct form of magnesium is extremely important when it comes to supplementation and optimising your performance. Some poorer forms of magnesium can cause gastric upsets and diarrhoea. This is definitely not what you want during your training, or even worse, on race day! Magnesium diglycinate is a form of magnesium that does not cause digestive upsets and is easily absorbed into your cells making it the ideal form of magnesium to take.

Endura formulas that contain magnesium diglycinate

Endura have a number of key formulas that contain therapeutic levels of magnesium diglycinate, including the following:

  • Endura Rehydration Formula provides the highest quality carbohydrates, electrolytes and specific key minerals, such as magnesium, potassium and sodium, which are in high demand during endurance sports. This is a scientifically advanced rehydration drink that is designed to replace glycogen and electrolytes in optimal ratios, aiding in faster re-hydration. It includes therapeutic doses of magnesium diglycinate to help relieve muscular aches, prevent cramping and improve stamina. Consuming Endura Rehydration Formula before, during and after endurance exercise will help; prevent blood glucose levels falling too low, replenish the body's glycogen stores, reduce exercise induced muscle breakdown, replace important electrolytes lost in sweat and assist in the prevention of muscle cramps and fatigue.
  • Endura Max delivers high doses of magnesium, taurine and B vitamins to ensure the body has the necessary building blocks for optimal stamina. Just 2 serves of Endura Max per day is sufficient in delivering 6 grams of taurine and 600 milligrams of magnesium. Endura Max is not a specific rehydration formula but is recommended in conjunction with Endura Rehydration Formula for optimal hydration, cramp prevention and magnesium replenishment.

Choose Endura for your daily dose of magnesium…

If you want to keep your magnesium levels topped up, choose Endura. The magnesium used in the Endura range is bound to 2 molecules of the amino acid glycine, making it quickly and effectively absorbed like other amino acids. Endura contains this form of high potency magnesium to optimise your cellular activity and support healthy muscle function. If you want to help optimise muscle recovery and physical endurance Endura is the perfect choice, so pick some up today!

* References available on request