59 minDoes Magnesium Help Muscle Cramps and Workout Recovery?
With Dr. Carolyn Dean
Guest on the show
Dr. Carolyn Dean
Carolyn Dean is a medical doctor and naturopath who has studied nutrition for about 55 years, wrote The Magnesium Miracle, and runs a dietary supplement company and an organic biodynamic farm in Maui.
Episodes with Dr. Carolyn Dean
59 minWhat Carolyn talks about
Ep. 140: Does Magnesium Help Muscle Cramps and Workout Recovery?
If you get calf cramps in bed, twitchy muscles after a workout, or feel wiped out no matter how well you eat, this conversation is for you. Nikkiey Stott sits down with Dr. Carolyn Dean, a medical doctor and naturopath and the author of The Magnesium Miracle, to talk about the micronutrient side of results. As Dr. Dean puts it, Nikkiey is the macro girl and she is the micro girl, and the two work together.
Dr. Dean explains her view that magnesium is needed for about 80% of the body's known metabolic functions, including processing protein, carbs and fats and making energy. She walks through how magnesium acts as the gatekeeper for calcium in muscle and nerve cells, why she believes low magnesium shows up as cramps, spasms and twitching, and why a standard serum blood test often looks normal even when you are low. She also covers magnesium compounds versus the magnesium ion, the laxative effect as your signal that you've taken more than you can absorb, why athletes who sweat a lot are more at risk, and the long list of conditions she believes can mask a deficiency.
The practical piece for women who train: Dr. Dean's baseline hydration approach of half your body weight in pounds as ounces of water, with a pinch of unrefined sea salt per liter, and more when you sweat. Nikkiey shares her own experience with rhabdomyolysis, her use of magnesium for sleep, and why she tells the WarriorBabe community to drink their water.
- Dr. Dean says about 80% of the body's known metabolic functions require magnesium, including processing the protein, carbs and fats you track.
- She explains that magnesium is the gatekeeper that moves calcium in and out of muscle and nerve cells, and without enough of it cells fill with calcium, which she links to cramps, spasms and twitching.
- A normal serum magnesium blood test may not mean much, according to Dr. Dean, because only about 1% of the body's magnesium is in the blood serum and magnesium isn't on a standard electrolyte panel.
- Simple clues Dr. Dean uses to flag possible deficiency include leg cramps, heart palpitations, insomnia and headaches.
- If you take more magnesium than you can absorb, you'll get a laxative effect, and Dr. Dean says her own needs rise with more stress, more exercise or more dairy.
Common questions
Can magnesium help with muscle cramps?
Dr. Dean explains that magnesium is the gatekeeper that lets calcium in and out of muscle cells. In her view, when magnesium is low the cells fill with calcium, which can create spasms, twitching and cramps, including the calf cramps she used to get herself.
Will a blood test show if I'm low in magnesium?
Dr. Dean says the standard serum test is very inaccurate because only about 1% of the body's magnesium is in the blood serum, and the body pulls magnesium from bones and muscles to keep that level steady for the heart. Her university research uses ionized magnesium testing instead.
How do I know if I'm magnesium deficient?
Dr. Dean uses simple questions like whether you get leg cramps, heart palpitations, insomnia or headaches. She estimates about 80% of the population is likely deficient and suggests starting some magnesium and paying attention to how you feel.
What happens if you take too much magnesium?
According to Dr. Dean, taking too much gives you a laxative effect, and she calls magnesium the safest dietary supplement you can take. She notes she couldn't take more than 50 milligrams of most forms without that effect.
Can you get enough magnesium from food?
Dr. Dean cites the U.S. Department of Agriculture saying we got about 500 milligrams of magnesium a day from food 100 years ago and are lucky to get 200 now, while she says we need 600. She attributes this to farmed-out soil that isn't replenished with magnesium.
How much water should you drink if you strength train?
Dr. Dean's baseline is half your body weight in pounds as ounces of water per day, with at least a quarter teaspoon of colored sea salt per liter, and more if you're sweating. Nikkiey tells the WarriorBabe community to aim for around 100 to 120 ounces, depending on the person.