Why Runners Need More Than Just Magnesium: A Comprehensive Guide to Stopping Muscle Cramps
As athletes around the world look to the months ahead to prepare for their 2025 races, events, and matches, the topic of nutrition is once again in the spotlight.
In what is a relentless pursuit of peak performance, the year ahead will once again be one where athletes meticulously consider ways, both old and new, to improve their training and the big events. As was the case in 2024, it’s nutrition that could be the difference between being hailed as the winner or being forgotten.
For the 2025 running calendar, athletes are specifically looking at ways in which to improve their fight against cramp. For today’s runners, supplements form the cornerstone of their performance and so we can expect a continued emphasis on high-performance nutrition, with magnesium supplements for muscle cramps taking centre stage.
Fighting muscle cramp is a major consideration for athletes undertaking sports or endurance events. Over recent years Magnesium has been presented as almost a cure-all for cramp prevention and relief. However, like everything in life things are a little more complex than that. Magnesium can be beneficial, however when it comes to combating and reducing the impact of cramping during training or competition, there are other elements that need to be considered if you’re looking to perform at your best.
In this article we are aiming to provide a breakdown of the role magnesium plays in athletic performance. We provide a handy FAQ to answer any burning questions you may have about this important mineral. We will then showcase why CrampFix represents an evolution in cramp prevention and how it provides relief for camp sufferers.
The Role of Magnesium in Athletic Performance
Magnesium is an important mineral that is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including muscle and nerve function, blood sugar regulation, and blood pressure control. For athletes, magnesium's role in muscle contraction and relaxation is particularly important. A deficiency in magnesium can lead to muscle cramps, spasms, and fatigue, which can have dire consequences on race day. It also significantly impacts your recovery after a big event.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) highlights the importance of athletes having enough magnesium in their bodies if they want to sustain energy production and muscular function. During intense exercise, the body loses large amounts of magnesium through sweat which needs to be replaced if athletes want high performance.
Similarly, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) continuously raises important discussions around athletes maintaining their electrolyte balance, including magnesium levels, to prevent exercise-associated muscle cramps. They recommend that athletes get enough magnesium through either diet or supplements to support their overall performance and recovery.
Benefits of Magnesium for Runners
-
Prevention of Muscle Cramps: Magnesium plays a key role in neuromuscular transmission and muscle contraction. Having the right levels will help prevent involuntary muscle contractions, or cramps, which can very quickly end a runner's race.
-
Energy Production: Magnesium is also involved in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy carrier in cells. This is really important for runners, as it gives them sustained energy release.
-
Reduction of Fatigue: By helping with oxygen uptake and energy production, magnesium helps delay the onset of fatigue, giving runners the precious time needed to maintain performance over longer periods.
-
Bone Health: While there is a lot of debate around this, the data shows us that regular running places stress on your bones. Magnesium contributes to bone density, reducing the risk of stress fractures and promoting overall skeletal health.
Choosing High-Performance and Trusted Supplements for Cramp Relief: Why CrampFix represents a new tool for cramp relief
When choosing which supplements to take to prevent cramp, athletes should always look for products that are backed by scientific research and are packed with natural ingredients. It's important to choose supplements free from artificial additives and fillers, making sure that your body gets the right nutrients that it needs to perform at its best.
This is something we place a great deal of importance on at Fixx Nutrition. We’ve invested a great deal of time and money to make sure that our products come with natural ingredients only and are designed to support athletic performance and recovery. As an example, our CrampFix range gives athletes a balanced combination of minerals to prevent and stop muscle cramps. This product is especially popular with runners.
It's important to note ‘why’ CrampFix represents an evolution in sports supplements due its ability to immediately address an issue that can affect athletic performance. Magnesium required a daily dose for users to gain any of the potential benefits - particularly as it relates to cramp relief. Whereas CrampFix does not even need to be digested for it to have a beneficiary effect. It offers almost immediate relief due the way its proprietary blend of ingredients impact the body by producing an acetic acid to trigger a neurological response that helps to stop cramps.
While magnesium can provide assistance in reducing the occurrence of cramping it does not provide the nearly immediate relief that CrampFix does. For runners and other athletes practical considerations like the ability to consume it during an event due to the measured doses (either in the single serve sachet or multi serve bottle range)help from both a preventative and curative standpoint. It is also important to note that taking magnesium supplements every day may cause side effects for some people. It might cause upset stomachs for certain users resulting in nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and other side effects.
This is why CrampFix for runners, athletes or those who are affected by cramps on a regular basis offers an all-natural alternative to magnesium - without negative side-effects.
FAQs on Magnesium Supplements
Q: What is the best magnesium for muscle cramps?
A: The best magnesium supplement for muscle cramps is one that is natural and scientifically backed. You’ll want one that is easily absorbed by the body. The go-to for most athletes is CrampFix which includes magnesium and a variety of other important minerals. It’s also convenient to take with you when you hit the tar or trail. For athletes training for or participating in endurance sports the Fixx Nutrition Fuel X range can also be used to combat cramps. This ‘endurance fule’ contains magnesium, along with a scientifically weighted blend of electrolytes and carbohydrates to assist with cramp prevention. This makes it well suited for non and professional athletes alike participating in sports with high running loads (think AFL), endurance activities (cycling) or taking place in hot conditions (cricket).
Q: How does magnesium help with muscle cramps?
A: Magnesium helps regulate muscle contractions by acting as a natural calcium blocker. When calcium binds to proteins in the muscle, it stimulates contraction. Magnesium competes with calcium for these binding sites, helping muscles relax. A deficiency in magnesium will, at the end of the day, end with cramps.
Q: Can I get enough magnesium from my diet alone?
A: While it's possible to get high levels of magnesium from your diet, like leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, most athletes may find it hard to meet their magnesium needs through diet alone. That’s where supplements come in.
Q: Are there any side effects of taking magnesium supplements?
A: Magnesium supplements are generally safe when taken as directed. It’s important to note, though, that excessive intake can lead to some side effects. That’s why it’s important to follow the recommended dose and only trust a supplement that has been tried and tested (or that is scientifically backed, like the Fixx Nutrition range of products).
Q: How quickly does magnesium work for muscle cramps?
A: The time it takes for magnesium to stop muscle cramps varies depending on a few factors, including the individual and how low the magnesium levels are. Again, the challenge here is that magnesium is a supplement that needs to be taken daily to have the desired effect for cramping in particular. Whereas CrampFix used a scientifically proven, all natural formula to both prevent cramps and reduce their impact.
CrampFix, on average, works within 30 seconds to two minutes, which is why thousands of athletes around the world trust the product.
Stop Cramps with Fixx Nutrition’s All-Natural Supplement Range
While we can keep telling you about all the benefits of the Fixx Nutrition range, it’s the athletes and sports teams around the world that trust the range that you should listen to. There’s a good reason they carry our products with them while they are training or competing.
Our commitment to natural, high-quality ingredients is what sets our products apart from the thousands of others on the market. They’re designed to work quickly and effectively, providing relief from cramps and supporting your overall performance.
Don't let muscle cramps put a stop to your running goals. Check out Fixx Nutrition's range of all-natural sports supplements and see for yourself.
Article sources: