Health Hotline Magazine | July 2024

Maximize Muscle Recovery Magnesium is a must-have for muscles. According to a 2022 double-blind study, 350 mg of magnesium supplementation in college-aged men and women at 24, 36, and 48 hours after ec centric bench press sessions significantly reduced muscle soreness, rating of perceived exertion, acute rating of perceived exertion, and improved perceived recovery compared to a placebo. Magnesium is also necessary for healthy muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmis sion. In other words, your muscles need magnesium to contract and relax. The more active you are, the more you need it to support healthy muscle function. Relax + Unwind the Mind Another way magnesium shines is in its ability to help the mind unwind. It is vital for GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) function, a neurotransmitter with calming effects on the brain. Hormones, like serotonin, regulated by magnesium are crucial for calming the brain and promoting relaxation within the nervous system, leading to a healthy mood. Supplementation

with magnesium has even been shown to combat anxiety and depression in those with low levels. In a double-blind, place bo-controlled study, 500 mg of magnesium oxide was shown to decrease depression scores in depressed patients with low magnesium levels. Two additional reviews and meta-analyses also suggest an inverse relationship between magnesium levels and the risk of depression. In other words, the less magnesium present, the greater the risk for depression. One study, including more than 8,800 people, found that among adults aged 65 and under, those with the lowest intake of magnesium had a 22 percent greater risk of depression. In another review, researchers summarized, “Mood stabilizing effects of Mg supplementation have also been reported in the improvement of clinical signs of mania, rapid cycling bipolar disorder, and alleviation of … symptoms associ ated with chronic fatigue syndrome.”

Some studies have also found magnesium to be as effective as antidepressant drugs, even showing rapid recovery (less than 7 days) from major depression using 125–300 mg of mag nesium glycinate and taurinate with each meal and at bedtime. Researchers also noted some additional brain benefits from magnesium treatment, as in the case of traumatic brain injury, headache, suicidal ideation, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, postpartum depression, drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse, short-term memory loss, and even IQ loss. High magnesium levels in the brain have also been linked with superior cognitive function; however, most magnesium supplements are inefficient in increasing brain levels because they do not penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The exception is magnesium threonate (also called “Magtein ® ”). Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have shown that magne sium threonate effectively elevates magnesium levels within the central nervous system, including the brain. They also discovered that magnesium threonate improves cognitive function significantly better than other forms of magnesium.

With Magnesium, It’s A Literal Slumber Party Falling and staying asleep a nightly struggle? Magnesium may be the key. In an analysis of three randomized controlled trials of 151 adults with insomnia symptoms, results showed that magnesium supplementation reduced the time it took to fall asleep and increased total sleep time. Doses ranged from 320 to 729 mg of either magnesium oxide or magnesium citrate, taken two to three times daily. In a double-blind, randomized clinical study of elderly subjects with insomnia, just 500 mg of magnesium daily for eight weeks improved measures of insomnia, such as sleep time and sleep onset latency, and early morning awakening. On the whole, magnesium may help by interacting with certain neurotransmitters, decreasing cortisol levels, and even increasing melatonin. Similar to melatonin, magnesium is also involved in regulating circadian rhythms.

22 | Health Hotline ®