Magnesium is an essential mineral for good health. Your body uses it to perform over 600 enzymatic reactions, such as metabolism, blood pressure regulation, and protein synthesis (Baaij et al., 2015). And yet despite how important it is, researchers estimate that almost two-thirds of people aren’t getting enough magnesium (Schwalfenberg and Genuis, 2017). Magnesium supplements provide a convenient way to meet your daily magnesium needs, and taking those supplements before bed can help with muscle recovery and sleep optimization.
Benefits of Magnesium
I’ve become something of a magnesium evangelist over the past several years. I started taking magnesium years ago for anxiety and sleep issues and it’s been such a big help to me with those. Also, taking a higher dose of magnesium supplements when I was pregnant (as recommended by my doctor) eliminated my pregnancy migraines.
Headaches, anxiety, and sleep are just a handful of the things magnesium can help with. There’s solid evidence to show that magnesium can help prevent and treat anxiety, asthma, cardiac arrhythmias, depression, diabetes, migraine headaches, and PMS (Schwalfenberg and Genuis, 2017). It can also help you relax and may improve insomnia. There’s also some evidence that it may help relieve muscle cramps and spasms, but the research isn’t conclusive.
When To Take Magnesium
Many studies and years of medical use have shown that magnesium is a safe and useful supplement. For most people, there’s no risk to taking it, and there are a lot of potential benefits.
- Note: though magnesium is a low-risk supplement, magnesium overdose may rarely occur. Talk with your doctor before taking magnesium supplements if you have a chronic health condition and/or take magnesium-containing medications.
You can take magnesium at any time during the day, but the ideal timing will depend on your goals. If you want to sleep better, take magnesium at night. If you want to start the day relaxed and ease muscle tension, take it in the morning.
The biggest key is to take magnesium consistently and long-term. You won’t notice much of an effect if you just pop a magnesium pill once or twice a month. But if you’re taking magnesium every day at about the same time each day, you should start to notice those beneficial effects.
Types of Magnesium
You get magnesium in some foods, including almonds, avocado, black beans, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, and spinach. Most people don’t get the recommended intake just from their food, though, so supplements are a good option.
There are several different types of magnesium supplements available. Some types are more bioavailable than others, some types can have a laxative effect, and some are more helpful for specific health concerns. Here are four common types of magnesium that are easily absorbed by the body:
- Magnesium citrate is a general type of magnesium supplement with a mild laxative effect.
- Magnesium glycinate is known for its calming effects, and is often recommended for sleep, muscle recovery, and managing anxiety/depression. It has less of a laxative effect than Magnesium citrate.
- Magnesium L-Threonate is considered the most effective form of magnesium to support brain health and cognition.
- Magnesium malate has less laxative effect, and may help relieve chronic pain.
If you’d like to try magnesium to help with muscle recovery and improved sleep, pick one of the supplements that sounds like it will meet your needs and give it a try! Take it shortly before bed, and make sure you stay consistent. And if you’d like help balancing your magnesium supplements with magnesium that’s naturally in your food–or have other nutrition-based health questions–sign up for nutrition coaching here at Extreme Studio Performance.