Did you know that Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body? It plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of many diseases and is regularly used as a remedy for muscle cramps. But does magnesium actually stop your muscle cramps or is there more to it?
What are the functions of magnesium?
About 99% of total body magnesium is located in bone, muscles, and non-muscular soft tissue. Magnesium plays an important role in hundreds of metabolic reactions which include protein synthesis, muscle and nerve transmission, neuromuscular conduction, signal transduction, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation. It helps the active transportation of calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes that are important for nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, vasomotor tone, and normal heart rhythm.
In your muscles, calcium binds to proteins such as troponin C and myosin. This process changes the shape of these proteins, which cause a contraction. Magnesium acts as a natural calcium blocker, helping your muscle cells relax after contracting. That is why magnesium is commonly recommended to treat muscle cramps.
Does magnesium help with muscle cramps?
Magnesium is commonly prescribed to treat muscle cramps but there is little evidence for the effectiveness of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of muscle cramps, except in pregnant women.
There are several high quality published studies evaluating the effectiveness of magnesium to prevent muscle cramps which collectively suggest that magnesium is unlikely to provide a meaningful benefit in reducing the frequency or severity of cramps. The majority of clinical trials concluded that magnesium supplements are no better than a placebo in reducing cramps.
Although most studies showed that magnesium did not reduce muscle cramps, some participants reported that magnesium did reduce cramp frequency and pain. It is suggested that the lack of effectiveness could be caused by a lack of basic nutrients such as potassium, calcium & sodium. These minerals play a significant role in muscle contractions, and if a lack of one of these other nutrients is causing the muscle cramps, then magnesium wouldn’t help.
Muscle cramps could also be caused by a lack of hydration, reduced blood flow, certain diseases, medications, or physical exertion. In which case, magnesium may not be effective in treating muscle cramps.
Other muscle cramp prevention tips
If you have tried magnesium to help with your muscle cramps and you haven’t had any luck, try these simple things you could incorporate into your routine to help prevent muscle cramps:
- Try some stretches targeting the area of your cramp – you can find hundreds of stretch ideas on Google or YouTube.
- Try eating more of these foods to get the correct amount of nutrients and minerals your body needs to function well.
- Stay hydrated – try to drink about 8-10 cups of water every day to reach the recommended daily intake. If you struggle to drink that much in a day, try drinking herbal teas or fruit infused water to make it more exciting!
- Massage the muscle area that is cramping or try rolling out the area with a foam roller to help increase blood flow and relax the muscle.
- For instant muscle cramp relief, drink a 10-20mL shot of CrampFix or spray CrampFix Rapid Mouth Spray 4 times in the mouth. CrampFix stops cramps by working through the neuromuscular system – providing relief within 30 seconds to 2 minutes.