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Introduction
Magnesium comes as the fourth most abundant mineral found in body cells. However, the two ounces or more of magnesium present in the regular human body exists as magnesium ions instead of metal. That is, positively charged atoms of magnesium found in solution form or compounded with tissues like bone. However, in blood serum, magnesium is found to be less than one percent. The magnesium found in blood serum can be divided or categorized further into protein-bound, complex-bound, and free ionic portions (Schwalfenberg & Genuis, 2017). Moreover, in measuring magnesium status, the ionic portion is regarded as most important because of being physiologically active.
The mineral plays very important roles in the body, including producing energy and supporting or reinforcing nerve and muscle function. By loosening tight muscles, magnesium aids in preventing injury in addition to enhancing flexibility. This is because, with the absence of magnesium, it is impossible for muscles to relax appropriately, potentially initiating cramps. Moreover, most of the energy of the body emanates from Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), but the production of ATP is entirely dependent on the magnesium mineral (Razzaque, 2018). ATP is a molecule responsible for capturing chemical energy found in food and utilizes the energy to fuel other body processes. This paper focuses on how effective magnesium is in enhancing bodily strength in athletes by evaluating the limitations and strengths of the scientific evidence that supports or contradicts the use of magnesium.
Review of the Science
The google search engine was used in investigating the research question. The keywords used include magnesium intake, strength performance, physical performance, and elite athletes. The investigation was carried out on the 24th of March 2022, which yielded twenty results. Furthermore, the inclusion criteria used involved exclusion of literature reviews or systematic reviews and meta-analyses. This is because all the articles mentioned above only investigated what other articles concluded about the research question hence did not conduct a study. Additionally, the articles picked were within the last ten years.
Giving or providing professional athletes with magnesium supplements may help increase their performance. Magnesium is an important mineral in the body since it works as a cofactor for over three hundred enzymes regulating different body reactions, including nerve and muscle function, muscle contraction, bone development, and energy production. Enzyme Creatine kinase is one of the enzymes where magnesium works as a cofactor. This enzyme is responsible for catalyzing energy utilized during exercises such as anaerobic exercises. As a result, magnesium is essential for a short duration and high-intensity exercises (Setaro et al., 2013). Additionally, magnesium also takes the role of enhancing the utilization and mobilization of glucose.
According to Setaro et al. (2014), there was an increase in performances of countermovement jump and countermovement jump with arm swing after the supplementation of magnesium. Setaro et al. (2014) investigated the association between the performance of elite male volleyball players and the supplementation of magnesium. The volleyball players received a magnesium supplement at a 350mg dose rate over a time period of four weeks. In support of this, Setaro et al. (2014) suggested that the performance of these exercises greatly increased due to short duration and high intensity or anaerobic exercises.
Moreover, Santos et al. (2011) also used dietary assessments to test the association between the physical performance of athletes, including handball, volleyball, and basketball players, and magnesium intake. Santos et al. (2011) findings indicated that compared to Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), magnesium intakes were considerably low. Furthermore, Santos et al. (2011) found that magnesium intake levels were directly correlated with certain strength tests, including trunk rotation, trunk flexion, and countermovement jump with arm swing.
In addition, Matias et al. (2012) conducted a study investigating whether the intake of magnesium affects or mediates the relationship between elite swimmers and lean soft tissue and bone mineral density. Matias et al. (2012) findings indicated that magnesium continued to be vital in determining the relationship between lean soft tissue and bone mineral density and swimmers even when the lean soft tissue was varied for calcium, vitamin D, energy, and potassium.
Dehkordi (2020) also conducted a study on the muscle strength of active male bodybuilder athletes to support the research question. The experimental group was supplemented with magnesium tablets with 250 milligrams of magnesium oxide and forty-seven milligrams of calcium. Furthermore, the control group was provided with a placebo entirely similar to the supplements. Dehkordi (2020) used the Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) machine based on the 1-RM to measure the strength of the athletes. Dehkordi (2020) also measured resistance using a standard machine with 1-RM by 0.5 kilograms with more repetition on the bench press in the gym. In both groups, Dehkordi (2020) found no significant difference in the endurance of the upper body back muscle strengths from the Wilks lambda test. However, the test indicated a considerable difference in the chest and arm muscle strengths between the experimental and control groups.
Additionally, magnesium intake levels combined with supplements or diets allow muscle recovery from extreme or strenuous exercise. Córdova et al. (2019) shared their view on this after investigating the impact of supplementation of magnesium in preventing muscle damage in a twenty-one-day cycling challenge in professional cyclists. Compared to the control group, improvements in muscle integrity in the magnesium supplemented group were modest considering muscle biomarkers. As a result, the cyclists had optimal activity since the performance was not affected across the length of the race.
Moreover, Martínez et al. (2017) studied basketball players over the season over magnesium supplementations impact on muscular damage markers and their relation with serum magnesium changes. Martínez et al. (2017) provided the athletes regularly with 400 milligrams of magnesium supplementation every day. Under these conditions, Martínez et al. (2017) findings indicated no significant changes either in the muscular damage markers or in the levels of magnesium among the participants along the season. The athletes maintained a controlled diet supervised by the team nutritionist where the mean magnesium consumption in the diet of their study amounted to 217 ± 4.6 mg/1,000 kcal surpassing the standardized dietary recommendations. Following these conditions, Martínez et al. (2017) observed limited serum magnesium changes, possibly because of an adequate supply of magnesium in the diet. Martínez et al. (2017) supported the view that magnesium supplementation in basketball players along the season can increase the level of biochemical markers of muscular damage and prevent a serum magnesium level drop.
However, there were limitations encountered in some studies that could potentially communicate the inaccuracy of their studies. One of the limitations that could affect the accuracy of the results is having a limited number of participants. Matias et al. (2012) indicated that the studys criteria of inclusion restricted participants to elite athletes, which led to a limited number of participants available in relation to the Portuguese swimmer population in Lisbon being considerably small. Martínez et al. (2017), on the other hand, reported a lack of a similar control group with no magnesium supplementation. Martínez et al. (2017) further indicated that it was challenging having professional players as controls since they were few and were located in different cities with diverse training and nutritional behaviors. It may also be challenging to interpret results correctly because the magnesium content in various tissues differs (Córdova et al., 2019). Moreover, magnesium can also be lost through transpiration, causing a challenge to determine accurate assessments concerning the distribution of magnesium in various body compartments over the supplementation protocols.
Table Summarizing the Primary Studies
Conclusion
In conclusion, magnesium intake can help increase the performance of elite athletes ranging from elite swimmers, basketball players, footballer players, bodybuilders, volleyball players, and handball players. Magnesium mineral helps the body in nerve and muscle function, blood pressure regulation, muscle contraction, bone development, and energy production. Magnesium intake has been shown to increase performances of countermovement jump and countermovement jump with arm swing in volleyball players. The mineral has also been shown to increase certain strength tests like trunk rotation, handgrip maximal strength, squat jump, and trunk flexion. In addition, magnesium mineral has also been shown to have a direct relation with lean soft tissue and bone mineral density among elite swimmers, which improves their performance. Furthemore, supplementation of magnesium intake has also helped enhance chest muscle strengths and arms muscle strengths in bodybuilders. However, magnesium intake has failed to improve back muscle strengths and upper body resistance.
Moreover, increased magnesium intake levels have proved to enable muscles to recover or heal from extreme or strenuous exercises, especially in cyclists. In addition magnesium has proven beneficial in sustaining adequate muscle status and function if controlled or provided in diet in adequate amounts. Lastly, magnesium intake also profits athletes by increasing biochemical markers levels of muscular damage while preventing a drop in serum magnesium. Some limitations hinder accuracy in investigating the efficiency of magnesium. These include a limited number of participants, difficulty acquiring elite athletes due to diverse training and nutritional behaviors, and magnesium content in various tissues differ.
References
Córdova, A., Mielgo-Ayuso, J., Roche, E., Caballero-García, A., & Fernandez-Lázaro, D. (2019). Impact of magnesium supplementation in muscle damage of professional cyclists competing in a stage race. Nutrients, 11(8), 1927. Web.
Dehkordi, S. (2020). Effect of a period of magnesium supplementation on muscle strength and resistance of bodybuilders. Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, 12-21. Web.
Martínez, A., Lázaro, D., Ayuso, J., Calvo, J., & García, A. (2017). Effect of magnesium supplementation on muscular damage markers in basketball players during a full season. Magnesium Research, 30(2), 61-70. Web.
Matias, C., Santos, D., Monteiro, C., Vasco, A., Baptista, F., & Sardinha, L. et al. (2012). Magnesium intake mediates the association between bone mineral density and lean soft tissue in elite swimmers. Magnesium Research, 25(3), 120-125. Web.
Razzaque, M. (2018). Magnesium: Are we consuming enough?. Nutrients, 10(12), 1-8. Web.
Santos, D., Matias, C., Monteiro, C., Silva, A., Rocha, P., & Minderico, C. et al. (2011). Magnesium intake is associated with strength performance in elite basketball, handball and volleyball players. Magnesium Research, 24(4), 215-219. Web.
Schwalfenberg, G., & Genuis, S. (2017). The importance of magnesium in clinical healthcare. Scientifica, 2017, 1-14. Web.
Setaro, L., Santos-Silva, P., Nakano, E., Sales, C., Nunes, N., Greve, J., & Colli, C. (2013). Magnesium status and the physical performance of volleyball players: Effects of magnesium supplementation. Journal of Sports Sciences, 32(5), 438-445. Web.
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