When you are an athlete, you start focusing on aspects of nutrition that other people may not consider as much. For example, you learn a lot more about electrolytes and protein than you ever imagined, and it becomes clear that maintaining your body’s balance is crucial to getting not only the best performance but living your best life.
Magnesium (Mg) for muscle twitches and spasms is a hidden secret that more athletes need to be aware of. A lack of this mineral can cause muscles to twitch, and it can also increase the risk of cramps during physical activity. More importantly, magnesium is known as the “recovery mineral” because of its role in sleep quality, muscle health, and energy levels.
If you’re looking to improve your muscles and reduce twitching and spasms, you may want to incorporate more magnesium into your diet. But first, let’s dig into the science behind this muscle-nurturing mineral to find out how it really improves health and comfort.
Where Does Magnesium Come From?
Magnesium is a naturally occurring mineral in many plants and animal food sources. It’s most popular in leafy greens, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and fortified cereals. Carnivores and omnivores can also get magnesium through fish, poultry, and beef.
In addition to enhancing athletic performance, magnesium has many proven health benefits, such as regulating blood glucose levels and your nervous system, helping your body convert food into energy, and aiding in smooth muscle contraction and relaxation.
How Magnesium Helps Muscles
There are several ways that magnesium supports healthy muscle function and promotes healthy recovery for athletes. Primarily, it stops calcium from binding to the protein complex troponin, which creates a chain reaction that causes muscle contraction.
Because magnesium competes with calcium for binding spots, it aids muscle relaxation and prevents the twitches and spasms many athletes experience after intense physical activity.
For this reason, magnesium is also highly common when it comes to treating muscle cramps.
What Causes Muscle Twitching, Anyway?
Muscle twitches and spasms are involuntary contractions. There are many potential causes of muscle twitches, including lack of sleep, caffeine, and overuse. For athletes, muscle fatigue is often the leading cause of twitches and spasms. Twitching can sometimes be the body’s way of delivering additional blood to the area, allowing the muscle to recover faster and reset.
Other times, dehydration can lead to muscle twitching because lack of fluids impact your muscles’ ability to communicate with nerve cells. When this intricate communications system is disrupted, random contractions, nerve misfiring, and static contractions can all occur.
Of course, dehydration can also lead to dreaded muscle cramps — these are painful contractions that cause the affected muscle to tighten too much. These are temporary, but they can be debilitating in the moment as they occur. Even worse, athletes who are prone to muscle cramps can find themselves struck with paralyzing pain in the middle of a play or activity; preventing them with both proper diet, exercise, and solutions like Fixx Nutrition’s CrampFix® can make a world of difference.
Signs of Low Magnesium Levels
If you experience muscle twitches, spasms, or frequent cramps, you may benefit from boosting your magnesium levels. Of course, it’s equally important to consult with your doctor and rule out any other causes.
Some other indications you might have a magnesium deficiency include:
- You have a reduced appetite
- Your sleep quality isn’t great
- You frequently feel tired or weak
- You have muscle spasms or twitches
- You experience abnormal heart rhythms
Any changes to your body is a good reason to seek medical care. If you ever have noticeably different vital signs (respiration, pulse) then seek urgent care right away. While some palpitations may be minor, it is still important to ensure that even a small symptom is not linked to a deeper issue.
How Is Magnesium Deficiency Diagnosed?
Your doctor can perform a blood panel or urine test to check your levels. If yours are too low, they can recommend dietary changes or prescribe a supplement that will help bring you back into a healthy range.
It’s important to ensure that you only take magnesium supplements exactly as prescribed. Rather than start taking them without a doctor’s clearance, you should make sure that it is safe for you to begin supplementing magnesium.
Although rare, magnesium poisoning is real, and it becomes a threat for those who begin consuming too much in their diet (or through supplements.) Instead, aim to eat a healthy, well-rounded meal, and only use supplements from trustworthy providers like Fixx Nutrition.
Magnesium and Muscle Recovery
After an intense workout or sport, it’s important to give your body time to properly wind down and heal. Muscles require 48-72 hours after exertion to return to their baseline state. During this period, they are building new tissue and removing toxins. Some muscles can take up to five days to fully recover.
Sufficient magnesium levels can help improve performance by aiding contraction; but it can also help prevent the spasms and cramps many athletes encounter during their post-workout recovery periods.
It’s interesting to note that magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic processes; it helps other nutrients do their jobs better. For example, magnesium activates vitamin D, which aids calcium regulation and helps strengthen muscles.
Best Types of Magnesium
Did you know there are actually different types of magnesium? There are 11 types of magnesium that perform unique roles. These include:
- Magnesium sulfate: The most popular form of magnesium. It’s a combination of sulfur, oxygen, and magnesium. So effective it can stop shivers during anesthesia recovery.
- Magnesium citrate: Naturally found in citrus fruits and commonly used in supplements.
- Magnesium chloride: A magnesium salt that may be used topically to reduce muscle soreness but not increase magnesium levels.
Stop Cramps With Fixx Nutrition’s CrampFix®
CrampFix® is our trademarked muscle cramp solution for athletes, whether you’re a professional player or sports aficionado. Using all-natural ingredients, the vegan, gluten-free formula gives your body an essential dose of electrolytes and reduces cramps up to 20 times faster than other options.
Read more on our products catalog, and check out our official blog for more tips and tricks to keep you at the top of your game.
