Magnesium

Before you think snoresville on this topic, read on! It's good stuff!

From a young age, approximately around 8 years old if my memory serves me right, I have been fascinated by all the details about vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, and macronutrients. Perhaps I was an information enthusiast (read nerd) from the start, and I still am!

We all have our secret pursuits of knowledge. This just happens to be mine. If you know me just a little bit, you also understand that it's not so much a secret. Let's dig in!

WHY DO I NEED MAGNESIUM??

Magnesium is involved in so many bodily functions!

• Protein formation: creating new proteins from amino acids

• Gene maintenance: helping create and repair DNA and RNA

• Muscle movements: aiding in muscle contraction and relaxation

• Nervous system regulation: regulating neurotransmitters, which send messages throughout your brain and nervous system.

  And if you're deficient, a lot of issues may crop up. The RDA for magnesium is 400-420mg for men and 310-320mg for women. Its pretty easy to get this into your diet each day. Look at the following:

• Swiss chard: 151 mg per cup, cooked 

• Beet greens: 98 mg per cup, cooked 

• Pumpkin seeds: 190 mg per ¼ cup 

• Sunflower seeds: 114 mg per cup 

• Black beans: 120 mg per cup, cooked 

• Edamame: 100 mg per cup, cooked 

• Brown rice: 84 mg per cup, cooked 

• Soymilk: 61 mg per cup 

• Baked potato: 43 mg per 85 grams 

• Avocado: 44 mg per cup, cubed 

• Broccoli: 24 mg per cup, cooked 

• Farmed Atlantic salmon: 25.5 mg per 3-oz filet, cooked 

• Dark chocolate: 42-65 mg per ounce, with the highest percentage of cocoa containing the most magnesium.

HOW DOES MAGNESIUM RELATE TO FITNESS?

Magnesium aids in transforming food into energy and acts as a natural muscle relaxant. Along with calcium and potassium, magnesium supports heart rhythm. Pretty important stuff. How do you know if you're deficient? Are you having muscle cramps? Tremors or spasms?

Again, I did not go to medical school and if you are having any odd or new symptoms, check with your doctor.

Here's a significant issue: are you waiting a day or two (heaven help you) to have a bowel movement? Many of my clients preparing for a bodybuilding contest face some degree of slowed regularity during their prep. The drastic change or restriction in their diet causes their digestion to slow considerably. (This is not a typical way to eat/live but is done for stage presence and is only temporary. More on this later). We sometimes use magnesium, up to 1-1.5 grams daily.

Which leads me to the next question: What kind of magnesium do I need? Check it out!

I've only scratched the surface of the information on Magnesium—so far, all I've found is that it’s great for your health and terrible for your nails (because of the scratching hahaha!).

QUOTES FROM THE BLACK TOP

"I want to be quoted in your blog!" Welp, here you go!

Love and lifting,

Karen