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Magnesium Supplement Review
By Bryan Kernan author of Bodybuilding Supplement Secrets Revealed
Magnesium Benefits Bodybuilding
Magnesium, the Overlooked Star
When it comes to building the body, calcium is the biggest name in the mineral world and many supplement their diets with calcium tablets. And that is a mistake. Magnesium is powerful – more powerful than calcium, it turns out.
Consider a recent study on the relationship between the two minerals. The study was reported in International Clinical Nutrition Review and revealed some interesting results:
Volunteers on a low magnesium diet were given both calcium and vitamin D supplements. All subjects were magnesium-deficient, and all but one became deficient in calcium as well, in spite of the fact that calcium had also been added to their diet. When they were given intravenous calcium infusions, the level of calcium in their blood rose for the duration of the intravenous feedings. When intravenous calcium was stopped, blood levels of calcium dropped again. However, when they were given magnesium, their magnesium levels rose rapidly and stabilized, and their calcium levels also rose within a few days, even though they had not been given any additional calcium. 1
Notice what occurred when the participants were given magnesium - not only did their magnesium levels rise; so did their calcium levels - even though they had not been given any additional calcium. Magnesium is much more powerful than calcium yet most people know little about it.
Magnesium is closely tied to the activity of calcium and helps to move calcium into the bones. Without magnesium you are almost wasting your time taking calcium. Calcium intake should be balanced with magnesium intake to provide the body with the best absorption. This is true of most vitamins and minerals - it is not a good idea to take them in a vacuum.
One example - the B vitamins should not be taken solo; they work better together. Taking one or two B vitamins to the exclusion of the others makes the utilization of all of them fall short. And loading up on calcium without a corresponding intake in magnesium won’t help the body either. In fact excess calcium intake without magnesium to balance it out can lead to soft tissue calcification or arthritis.2 If you envision calcium as the star running back, magnesium is the fullback leading the way down field - and both are necessary to score nutritionally. It is important to be aware of this factor to get the most out of your nutritional intake. For years the primary emphasis of advertising and promotionals has been on calcium. But magnesium is the power behind the throne and will build your bones and more. Magnesium is featured in the supplement ZMA due o its power, so give magnesium its due and take plenty of this powerful mineral.
1. Nan Fuchs, “Calcium Controversy”, The Natural Way, April/May 1995