Running Mania

thanks! On Friday I stayed up too late and had a bit too much wine so that sabotaged me and then last night I stayed up until 2 so it's my own fault. We'll see how tonight goes!

I've been taking 500mg Magnesium since last spring. I did not know any of the muscle benefits of magnesium, I started taking the supplement for digestion with the sleep aid being a welcome side-effect.

Doubt if any of this is related but here's what I've noticed:

I'm running faster than I ever have (even than when I weighed 15lbs less)
My recovery is much faster, I feel minimal muscle soreness post exercise now.
My digestive system is more balanced and predictable.
I don't get period cramps as bad.
I do sleep better (deeper?) when I take the magnesium regularly.

last night slept about 7:15 total. I did wake up at 5:30 for long enough that I thought I was up for the day, then dozed off again.

I still feel sleepy this morning though. :/ maybe that will improve when I head to the office and have a coffee. :)

ultraslacker wrote:
I still feel sleepy this morning though. :/ maybe that will improve when I head to the office and have a coffee.

Mystery solved: resurgence of the cold I thought was done. Throat and nose congesting again. if I didn't have stuff I have to do today I would have stayed home!


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You guys have convinced me to try it so just bought 500mg pills.

Dr. S wrote:You guys have convinced me to try it so just bought 500mg pills.

Just magnesium? They say you should take it with calcium because the two help each other work more effectively, but if you take too much of one without the other then it can backfire.

ultraslacker wrote:

Dr. S wrote:You guys have convinced me to try it so just bought 500mg pills.

Just magnesium? They say you should take it with calcium because the two help each other work more effectively, but if you take too much of one without the other then it can backfire.

I only take magnesium.

I'm not dead yet.

I never knew you were supposed to take one with the other. For that matter, we should add Vitamin D in there too because it helps with the absorption of Calcium. Oh, and iron, we should take iron too because the vitamin D and iron will help with the magnesium. Or is that the other way around? I can't remember.

I'm not good at remembering to take pills, so taking several would turn me off.

Might as well just take a multi-vitamin.



This is why I just take the magnesium. For a while I was taking some iron too, since I am borderline anemic, but then that counteracted all the digestive benefits I was getting from the magnesium, if you know what I mean.

Maybe all the benefits I see are placebo affect. Maybe the magnesium is helping. Maybe I'm off balance and really should be taking Calcium. But how am I supposed to know really. Do I listen to what the supplement companies tell me, and buy more of their product? What are the signs of being off balance? I'm not breaking bones any more frequently than I was...which was one bone (coccyx) in 38 years...

well you can actually buy a calcium-magnesium-D supplement all in one (in fact those are more common than straight magnesium).

All the articles I read said to take calcium and magnesium together.

I bought a calcium-D supplement and a magnesium supplement separately because I wanted specific ones, but I take them together.

ultraslacker wrote:well you can actually buy a calcium-magnesium-D supplement all in one (in fact those are more common than straight magnesium).

All the articles I read said to take calcium and magnesium together.

I bought a calcium-D supplement and a magnesium supplement separately because I wanted specific ones, but I take them together.

I think the Mag +D helps with the Cal absorption, but I'm not sure if you need the Cal +D to help with the Mag absorption.

CAW wrote:Might as well just take a multi-vitamin.

This is why I just take the magnesium. For a while I was taking some iron too, since I am borderline anemic, but then that counteracted all the digestive benefits I was getting from the magnesium, if you know what I mean.

Maybe all the benefits I see are placebo affect. Maybe the magnesium is helping. Maybe I'm off balance and really should be taking Calcium. But how am I supposed to know really. Do I listen to what the supplement companies tell me, and buy more of their product? What are the signs of being off balance? I'm not breaking bones any more frequently than I was...which was one bone (coccyx) in 38 years...

Definitely don't listen to the supplement companies!

There's quite a bit of research lately that daily supplementation (except in certain circumstances) is generally useless. And also some recent research that anti-oxidant supplements (C and E) have a negative effect on the muscle endurance/adaptations that, as athletes, we are trying to create through training.

solid 7 hours again last night... that's four solid sleeps in the past 7 nights, without drugs. Definite improvement, though I confess I'm scared to get my hopes up.

Still feeling a little crappy today because this stupid cold has decided to go for a round 2 (or rather, it had a two-week pre-amble and now it's finally starting to run its course).

Re: magnesium vs magnesium /calcium: Apparently there isn't evidence for calcium and magnesium affecting each others absorption; however, they are systems in our bodies that use both minerals, so supplementing with one can upset the balance of the other. That's why it's often recommended to take both - although there isn't clear evidence that it's necessary.

Anyway--

Holly- so glad to hear it's working.

If you like to eat pumpkin seeds, they're a very good source of magnesium.

jgore wrote:If you like to eat pumpkin seeds, they're a very good source of magnesium.

so I've read!

I've started adding this to my salads. Each packet has nuts, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and sunflower seeds. So it's a good one for magnesium! :)

Also, my daily salad is a spinach salad, and spinach is a good source as well.

The biggest difference I've noticed with the magnesium and improved sleep is mental, not physical. My brain doesn't feel foggy and exhausted all the time; I'm happier and more alert. So even though I still feel physically tired/sleepy a lot of the time, I'm still feeling better in general. My director even asked me what's up last week since he says I seem to be more happy and energetic.

I wish I would have discovered the magnesium effect 14 years ago. :P

I had a one week relapse on the sleep front. TERRIBLE sleeps last week, all week. But it seems to be settling again.

Interestingly, the relapse occurred when I reduced the Calcium that I'm taking with the Magnesium. Not sure if that is what caused it but I've upped the Calcium again.

Also, In spite of a tough long run yesterday I am amazingly not sore today, at ALL. I was hurting last night after the run but this morning I feel 100% (legs just a bit fatigued).

Of course my appetite is always biggest the day after the long run.... :)

ultraslacker wrote:I had a one week relapse on the sleep front. TERRIBLE sleeps last week, all week. But it seems to be settling again.

Interestingly, the relapse occurred when I reduced the Calcium that I'm taking with the Magnesium. Not sure if that is what caused it but I've upped the Calcium again.

Also, In spite of a tough long run yesterday I am amazingly not sore today, at ALL. I was hurting last night after the run but this morning I feel 100% (legs just a bit fatigued).

Of course my appetite is always biggest the day after the long run....

Ok good, because I was starting to think it was all in my head when you said it had stopped working I've had a few sleepless nights again lately too, but I have been dealing with a lot of personal issues so that's probably why.

yeah I don't know what was up last week... it was back to my "normal".

I'm still feeling pretty wiped today but I had a tiring weekend so I think I'm recovering from that.

ultraslacker wrote:yeah I don't know what was up last week... it was back to my "normal".

I'm still feeling pretty wiped today but I had a tiring weekend so I think I'm recovering from that.

I guess it depends on what the root cause of the insomnia is.

La wrote:

ultraslacker wrote:yeah I don't know what was up last week... it was back to my "normal".

I'm still feeling pretty wiped today but I had a tiring weekend so I think I'm recovering from that.

I guess it depends on what the root cause of the insomnia is.

Yes- and hormonal issues can also come into play... Many of the magnesium/calcium mechanisms involve hormones like estrogen which vary through the month.

If I knew the root cause I'd have fixed it by now.

Anyway, after posting that I tossed and turned ALL. FREAKING. NIGHT.

Can't win. :/


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http://fellrnr.blogspot.com/2014/08/mag ... ealth.html
http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Magnesium

Magnesium deficiency is common, and may result in poor performance, diabetes, and many other health problems. Magnesium supplementation is generally safe with little risk of excessive intake, though some forms can cause GI problems. Magnesium Glycinate or Magnesium Orotate are the best forms of supplementation, but they are more expensive. Food sources of magnesium include nuts, cereals, coffee, green leafy vegetables, chocolate and tap water in hard water areas. Exercise may exacerbate magnesium deficiency, and Ultrarunning may impact magnesium levels for up to a year.

Deficiency. About 30-50+% of the US population are magnesium deficient, but exercise is likely to exacerbate magnesium deficiency. While this may be due to increased losses, longer duration (20+ hours) has been shown to create a far more protracted deficiency that is still present 10-11 months later.
Running. There is good evidence that magnesium deficiency can result in impaired running performance. This may be due to the role of magnesium in glucose metabolism, but magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymes so there could be many other mechanisms. There is good evidence that magnesium supplementation improves athletic performance in those that are deficient.
Heath. Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymes and has far-reaching and profound impacts on human health.
Diabetes. There is excellent evidence that magnesium is related to Type 2 diabetes and that magnesium supplementation helps with the insulin resistance of diabetes and pre-diabetes.
Bones. There is good evidence that magnesium is critical for bone health and preventing osteoporosis, along with calcium and Vitamin D.
Migraine. There is reasonable evidence that magnesium can help reduce the frequency and severity of migraines in some individuals, but given the safety and cheapness, magnesium is recommended for all migraine sufferers.
Depression. There is limited evidence that magnesium can help with depression, but given the impact of depression combined with the low cost and safety of magnesium, supplementation is highly recommended.
Insomnia. There is some evidence that magnesium can be useful in the treatment of insomnia and magnesium supplementation is recommended for insomniacs.
Aging. There are some interesting initial indications that magnesium deficiency may play a role in the aging process, and that magnesium is important for protecting DNA.
Epilepsy. The research into magnesium and epilepsy is too limited to reach any conclusion. However, given the safety and cost of magnesium combined with the potentially devastating impact of epilepsy that it would be prudent to try magnesium supplementation.
Cramps. There is only the most tenuous of evidence that magnesium might help with cramps.
Other Health Implications. Magnesium deficiency has also been linked to a wide variety of other conditions including asthma, emphysema, ADHD, cardiac dysrhythmias, cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia, high blood pressure.
Recommended Intake. The recommended intake is 400 mg for men and 320 mg for women, though this recommendation varies with age.
Food Sources. The most common source of magnesium tends to be cereals and tap water in hard water areas. While nuts are a good source of magnesium, it is impractical to get your RDA without excessive calorie intake. Other sources include green leafy vegetables, and chocolate.
Supplementation. Cheaper forms of magnesium tend to cause diarrhea, so check the ingredients list of any magnesium containing supplements. I use Magnesium Glycinate or Magnesium Orotate. Magnesium Glycinate powder will mix easily in a sports drink, but I generally use the more expensive Magnesium Orotate.
Deficiency testing. Testing the magnesium levels in blood is an ineffective approach, as applied to levels do not reflect overall magnesium status. Instead, a magnesium load test is required which looks at the level of magnesium absorbed when a supplement is provided.

I've been following this thread with interest as DH's physiotherapist told us about magnesium supplements. Thanks for the information, Spirit!

It's funny that Spirit & Tisha bumped this thread because I just re-read the whole thread a couple of days ago. I'm giving magnesium a try because of the sleep factor. I just started last night, so we'll see how it goes.

Call me crazy but shouldn't you (the generic you, I'm not directing this at any one person) go and get your blood tested to see if all of your blood levels are appropriate? If they aren't, your doctor can recommend a way to get them more in line. I suspect a doctor would be better able to tell you what you should and shouldn't be taking than "I read an article that says...."

drghfx wrote:Call me crazy but shouldn't you (the generic you, I'm not directing this at any one person) go and get your blood tested to see if all of your blood levels are appropriate? If they aren't, your doctor can recommend a way to get them more in line. I suspect a doctor would be better able to tell you what you should and shouldn't be taking than "I read an article that says...."

except magnesium apparently can't be accurately tested because levels vary throughout the day and there are multiple tests required in order to get a proper idea.

ps: when it comes to something as harmless and basic as magnesium, I'm not worried about trying it without talking to a doctor first. If it doesn't work, no harm done.

pps: I've talked to five doctors about my sleep problems and not one helped me.