Can Magnesium Enhance Exercise Performance?

Yijia Zhang,Ka He,Lijuan Mao,Pengcheng Xun,Ru Wang

doi:10.3390/nu9090946

Yijia Zhang, Ka He + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9090946

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Abstract

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential mineral that plays a critical role in the human body. It takes part in the process of energy metabolism and assists the maintenance of normal muscle function. A number of studies evaluated the association between Mg status/supplementation and exercise performance and found that the need for Mg increased as individuals’ physical activity level went up. Animal studies indicated that Mg might improve exercise performance via enhancing glucose availability in the brain, muscle and blood; and reducing/delaying lactate accumulation in the muscle. The majority of human studies focused on physiological effects in blood pressure, heart rate and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), rather than direct functional performances. Some cross-sectional surveys demonstrated a positive association between Mg status and muscle performance, including grip strength, lower-leg power, knee extension torque, ankle extension strength, maximal isometric trunk flexion, rotation, and jumping performance. Additionally, findings from intervention studies showed that Mg supplementation might lead to improvements in functional indices such as quadriceps torque. Moreover, Mg supplementation could improve gait speed and chair stand time in elderly women. This comprehensive review summarized the literature from both animal and human studies and aimed to evaluate scientific evidence on Mg status/supplementation in relation to exercise performance.

Highlights

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential mineral that plays a critical role in the human body [1]
It is a cofactor for numerous enzymatic reactions including energy metabolism [2], cell growth [3], glycolysis [4], and protein synthesis [5]
The purpose of this review is to evaluate the association between Mg status/supplementation and exercise performance with direct measures such as grip strength and knee torque

Summary

Introduction

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential mineral that plays a critical role in the human body [1]. It is a cofactor for numerous enzymatic reactions including energy metabolism [2], cell growth [3], glycolysis [4], and protein synthesis [5]. The complex functions as the primary energy source and is indispensable for many physiological functions including nerve conduction [7], muscle contraction [8], and blood pressure regulation [9]. During long-term endurance exercise, serum Mg is likely to shift from serum to erythrocytes or muscle to support exercise function [1]. Short-term exercise may reduce plasma/serum volume, resulting in the elevation of serum Mg levels [1]

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