You probably didn’t know this, but a lack of magnesium can actually prevent you from reaching your exercise goals. No matter how hard you are trying, if your body isn’t getting all the needed nutrients – results won’t show up. A lack of magnesium can also hinder your performing ability and slow down the recovery process.

The importance of this element has been studied thoroughly, and here are just a couple of reasons why you should definitely start getting it.

Muscle spasm prevention

Those familiar cramps and spasms can actually be prevented with the help of magnesium. As a matter of fact, magnesium is actually the key for helping your spasming muscles to relax.

It has been scientifically proven that depleted levels of magnesium cause leg cramps as well as cramps in other muscle groups. And dehydration that is caused by working out will make it even more intense. By adding magnesium to your nutrition, you will help preventing those uncomfortable after workout cramps.

Energy provider

It is a well-known fact that our magnesium levels are dropping rapidly when we are working out. The reason is quite shocking – sweat removes magnesium from your body, and we all know we are sweating the most while we are working out.

During intense workouts, magnesium enters our red blood cells in order to help us sustain our energy levels. This happens because intense workouts deplete oxygen in our blood cells, so our body uses magnesium to balance that loss and sustain energy.

In other words, if you are doing high intensity workouts, and especially if you are doing them in a hot environment, you will need to rely on some quality magnesium supplements in order to provide your body with the needed power.

Muscle recovery aid

Even though prevention of spasms and blood cells replenishment are a part of helping the recovery process, magnesium has other properties that make it pretty much essential for your post-workout muscle recovery.

Magnesium is actually an anti-inflammatory, which makes it a great swelling, as well as joint pain and other post workout inflammation reducing method. Furthermore, you will prevent the chance of getting arthritis with the help of it.

This mineral is essential for athletes because it makes muscles go from contracted to relaxed. And when lacking it, your muscles will remain tense for long time – which is also why magnesium deficiency causes cramps. The buildup of lactic acid can as well be combated with the help of magnesium.

So again, make sure you use magnesium supplements in order to keep your muscles functioning in the way they should.

Lean muscle builder and performance booster

When levels of magnesium drop, our body’s sensitivity to insulin goes down as well. And this makes it more difficult for our body to lose that stubborn fat and gain real lean muscle. With higher magnesium levels, you will experience muscle gain much faster.

Also, while we are exercising, our body is actually turning glycogen into glucose – a fuel for the muscles. Magnesium is essential for this process to work. If you aren’t getting enough of it, you will feel fatigue more easily and find it much harder to complete your workout. And not just that, magnesium actually helps you metabolize protein better. In other words, you will also get the most power from your protein.

Ways to get magnesium

There are three sources to get magnesium from, and you choose the one that suits you best.

Firstly, there is food. Making some quality changes to your diet is one way to get more of this mineral. One of the best-known sources of magnesium is spinach (that Popeye sure knew what’s up), but there are also pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds, buckwheat etc. Foods that are rich in fiber are also rich in magnesium. And the smartest and easiest way to incorporate these ingredients into your nutrition is to blend them into a smoothie. You will consume larger amounts easily and quickly.

Secondly, there are supplements, which can be taken twice a day and are the easiest way to aid to your workout recovery.

Finally, there are topical treatments – where you get the benefits of this mineral by applying it to your skin. A bath that uses flakes of magnesium is a great way to speed up your recovery.

That would be it. Remember, whether you go with food, supplements or baths, it is important that you provide your body with this essential mineral. Start incorporating it into your life today.