Ergogenic Properties of Magnesium Supplementation

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body. It is critical to day-to-day physiological function including the regulation of metabolism, cardiovascular function, immune function, and the operation of the nervous system. In light of its important role in physiology, dietary supplementation of magnesium has been purported to improve athletic performance, although the precise mechanism is unclear. The foci of the proposed study is the ergogenic effects of magnesium, its potential influence on gut health, and its potential ability to improve skeletal muscle function. The investigators will be studying an athletic/competitive population of endurance-trained adults. This group is likely to be the most interested in the use of magnesium to enhance athletic performance. Also, by only recruiting habitual exercisers, the variability between participants is likely to be reduced compared with if the investigators had also recruited people who are usually sedentary.