In 2018, we ventured upon developing our version of the perfect sports drink. We wanted to partner with the most extreme phenotype-the reason? If it works for him, it will work for most.
We partnered with the Iron Cowboy, James Lawrence, after hearing about his impossible feat- seriously: as a physician, I still cringe upon what James achieved in 2015. 50 full distance triathlons in 50 consecutive days.
The thing that struck me the most about him, in addition to what his muscles would have gone through at that time, was his interest in creating something better – a better electrolyte drink that can reduce muscle cramps that happen with endurance feats.
Over the year that we met, we brainstormed, discussed, fine-tuned, tested and perfected our formula-MAGNAK. An electrolyte drink that not only hydrates, but also reduces muscle cramps by virtue of its unique proportion of magnesium, sodium and potassium in the mix. Over my year of experience developing the formulation, I met with several endurance athletes who provided critical input.
It was striking though, as to how few of them had ever heard about magnesium. As a part of our ongoing effort to educate athletes, we compiled the top 5 questions we face from them about magnesium:
Magnesium is not very common in our diet. Common foods that are rich in magnesium include bran (cereal is a good way to get it), legumes, fish, eggs, leafy vegetables, dark chocolate, bananas and almonds. You need a pretty healthy diet to get magnesium from food on a consistent basis. Food processing and the systematic depletion of soil of their mineral reserves has led to a net reduction of magnesium bioavailability in our diet.
The recommended daily intake (RDI) of magnesium is 400-450 mg in an adult male and 350-400 mg in an adult female. The RDI for children from 2-11 is about 200-300 mg/day. Less than 40% of Americans meet this guideline. The requirement of magnesium is higher (at least 500-600 mg/day) in athletes.
Magnesium deficiency in athletes can present as muscle cramps and soreness in addition to sleeplessness, excessive fatigue and weakness. Severe magnesium deficiency can cause changes in blood pressure as well as abnormal heart rhythms.
Overt magnesium deficiency is diagnosed using a blood test that checks for free magnesium levels. However, it does not tell the whole story.
Magnesium in blood constitutes less than 5% of total body magnesium. In the blood, magnesium circulates as a free ion as well in a protein-bound state. Majority of magnesium in the body is stored in bones and soft tissues which is not measured using blood tests. Thus, a normal magnesium level in the blood does not diagnose a person who is deficient in total body stores of magnesium. Such low level of magnesium stores in the body can lead to symptoms during a stressor such as an endurance race.
Magnesium supplementation has shown to improve muscle strength in some individuals. Magnesium has been used as a supplement to prevent the severity of muscle cramps in individuals who have a tendency to get dehydrated.
As discussed above, if athletes eat a magnesium deficient diet for a prolonged period of time, they can eventually have significant muscle cramps and soreness that can affect their performance. Thus, magnesium-rich nutrition (diet and hydration) can correct this subtle underlying sub-clinical magnesium deficiency, and can allow athletes to perform better as well as recover faster.
By: Sourabh Kharait, MD, PhD-Founder/CEO.
Dr. Kharait is an MD and a practicing Nephrologist in Northern California. He completed his Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Nephrology from the University of California, San Francisco. He has a PhD in Molecular Physiology from the University of Pittsburgh and specializes in treating patients with electrolyte disorders and kidney diseases.
