Do you want to get more out of your workouts with less recovery pain? According to Exercise Physiologists, you need to focus on your post-workout recovery to ensure you get the best results from your exercise and to prepare you for an even better workout session next time. One way to do this is through using magnesium. Magnesium can help relax your muscles and aid in muscle recovery which dramatically helps alleviate pain and promote a quick recovery. Research trials using transdermal application of magnesium (applied to the skin) found it decreased joint and muscle pain and aided muscle recovery after strenuous and intense exercise.

Why magnesium is important when exercising:

Sweating causes mineral loss and researchers have found magnesium is one of the highest depleted minerals in athletes;
Lack of magnesium can lead to lactic acid build-up which creates soreness and fatigue in your muscles which can force you to skip workouts;
Low magnesium can also mean you experience more frequent cramping and muscle spasms;
Magnesium activates Vitamin D by moving it around in your blood so if you are low on magnesium it affects your vitamin D levels. Muscle weakness and pain can be caused by low Vitamin D and if your levels remain low, your muscle mass can decline which affects your exercise performance;
Magnesium has anti-inflammatory properties, it soothes muscle tension and supports muscle healing which helps the body recover quickly from strenuous exercise and increased recovery allows you to train harder, more intensely and for a longer period of time;
Magnesium functions as an electrolyte in the body which is critical for muscle function by allowing potassium entry into your muscle cells;
Magnesium plays an important role in the body and is used for more than 300 enzymatic processes in the body including the synthesis of proteins, the operation of muscles and nerves, the creation of energy, heart health and the control of pain. It can offer relief from some types of pain and it affects how your body perceives pain. This is why it is so important when exercising!

Why you should use Magnesium Oil and Magnesium Bath Flakes for exercise recovery:

Applying magnesium oil before exercise quickly increases low levels of magnesium and instantly assimilates into your muscles reducing the likelihood of pain;
Alternatively, applying magnesium oil post-workout helps your muscles relax, promotes quick recovery and replenishes depleted magnesium stores from exercise-induced electrolyte loss;
Magnesium oil can be applied as a topical agent directly to any painful areas to alleviate pain;
Adding magnesium flakes to your bath post-workout supports your muscle recovery on two levels because you have the added benefit of immersive heat therapy from the warm water as well as the magnesium which will replenish your depleted stores;
Applying magnesium directly to the skin either through magnesium oil sprays or magnesium bath flakes provides a localised approach where the magnesium ions diffuse directly into the epidermis layer and through to the muscles;
Magnesium is rapidly absorbed through the skin compared to oral supplementation which has to pass through the gastrointestinal tract and commonly creates a laxative effect;
If you are already taking a multitude of oral supplements or medications then topical application of magnesium may be better accepted than taking another tablet.

Although our soils are depleted of magnesium we can still get some magnesium through our food in addition to supplementing with topical magnesium. These foods include bananas, dried apricots, legumes, nuts and seeds, fish, natural yogurt, dark chocolate and dark leafy vegetables such as spinach.

So overall, we can see why magnesium is so important when exercising. Boosting your magnesium levels via topical and nutritional means can help you recover faster, relieve muscular discomfort and assist muscular recovery post-exercise therefore giving you the potential to increase your exercise performance.

Check out our products below if you would like to include magnesium as part of your exercise regime and remember, like exercise, consistency is key so please apply twice daily for best results.