Magnesium Bisglycinate for Muscle Cramps
DISCLAIMER: This article has been written for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Nearly every person experiences painful muscle cramps at some point in life. But when it gets back recurrently, magnesium deficiency might be a leading underlying cause of these bothersome episodes. Studies have shown that taking magnesium bisglycinate for muscle cramps can significantly improve the intensity and frequency and thus might be an effective treatment option for muscle cramps.
In this article, we’ll explore the therapeutic potential of magnesium glycinate for muscle cramps and what science is behind it. But we’ll start with the basics of muscle cramps first. So, let’s get started.
Table of contents
- What are muscle cramps?
- Symptoms of muscle cramps
- Causes of muscle cramps
- What is magnesium bisglycinate?
- Benefits of magnesium bisglycinate for muscle cramps
- How to use magnesium bisglycinate
- Precautions and side effects
- Final words
What are muscle cramps?
Muscle cramps are involuntary and sudden painful contractions of muscles that make the muscles impossible to use for some time. Though they are usually harmless, a sudden occurrence of severe pain may interrupt a regular schedule and hamper restfulness or sleep when occurred at night.
Symptoms of muscle cramps
Muscle cramps may occur anywhere including legs, back, or neck. Apart from sudden severe pain, a hard lump of muscle tissue that seems like a knot can occur just beneath the skin.
Causes of muscle cramps
A number of factors may contribute to developing muscle cramps, such as:
Magnesium depletion - low intake of magnesium through diets may cause magnesium deficiency. In addition, people also lose magnesium due to aging, sweating, excess caffeine and sugar intake, poor absorption, and taking certain medications such as diuretics.
Muscle strains - staying in a position for a prolonged period may cause muscle strains as well as muscle cramps.
Dehydration - low fluid or water intake may lead muscles to be hard and tight and cause cramps.
Overuse of muscles - long periods of physical labor or exercise particularly using the same muscles repeatedly may cause muscles to be exhausted and contracted.
Insufficient blood supply - arteriosclerosis or narrowing of the arteries may lead to the inadequate blood supply to the muscles, resulting in cramps and pain.
Nerve compression - compression or other disturbances of nerves that supply the muscles may also cause muscle cramps.
What is magnesium bisglycinate?
Magnesium bisglycinate, also referred to as magnesium glycinate or chelated magnesium glycinate, is a form of magnesium that is combined with glycine, a potent amino acid. This form of magnesium supplement shows better absorbability compared to the other forms of magnesium, which is why it gets absorbed well and tends to be highly beneficial for managing symptoms of muscle camps such as pain and contraction.
Benefits of magnesium bisglycinate for muscle cramps
The information available regarding magnesium supplementation for muscle cramps are often confusing and misleading. There are some studies that concluded that magnesium supplement is not effective in muscle cramps, while other evidence showed it was hugely effective.
It is important to always remember that supplementary magnesium comes in various forms based on the ingredients used to bind the magnesium molecules such as magnesium bisglycinate when magnesium is bound to glycine and magnesium oxide when magnesium is bound to oxygen and so on. Each form is different in bioavailability and has different effects on the body. Hence, all these magnesium forms should not be explained interchangeably and it’s essential to mention the specific form instead just mentioning “magnesium” in general.
A group of literature used the term “magnesium” in their publication and concluded that magnesium supplementation did not show significant improvement in muscle cramps. This is the main reason most people get confused. In fact, they used either magnesium oxide or those forms that have very low bioavailability and do not get properly absorbed by the body, rather mostly remain in the gut and are expelled from the body causing diarrhea and other digestive issues.
Magnesium bisglycinate is a chelated form of magnesium that has very high bioavailability with far better absorption properties. This is the prime reason why magnesium bisglycinate is effective in muscle cramps while other forms are not.
A 2015 RCT (randomized controlled trial) published in the Maternal and Child Nutrition concluded that supplementing with magnesium bisglycinate can improve the intensity and frequency of leg crampons in pregnant women and thus oral magnesium bisglycinate might be an effective treatment for pregnant women suffering from leg cramps.
In essence, magnesium bisglycinate offers far better absorption in the body and shows significant benefits on muscle cramps. It helps fulfill the deficiency of magnesium which is one of the most common causes of muscle cramps as well as relaxes the tensed muscles to ease pain and contraction.
How to use magnesium bisglycinate
The exact doses of magnesium bisglycinate for muscle cramps may widely vary depending on several factors such as the frequency and intensity of the cramps, overall health conditions, and elemental magnesium present in the supplements. In general, dosages may range from 200 mg to 800 mg per day. These doses might be taken into several divided doses throughout the day and are often recommended with meals for better absorption.
Precautions and side effects
Though magnesium bisglycinate is considered safe in recommended doses, overdoses may cause some side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low mood, and low blood pressure.
Besides, excess magnesium passes through the kidneys and thus good kidney functions are essential for taking magnesium supplements. Therefore, it’s strongly recommended to consult with a licensed naturopath or healthcare provider before starting magnesium supplements especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have any underlying health issues.
Final words
Magnesium bisglycinate has far better absorption potency than other forms of magnesium supplements which is why it works wonders on muscle cramps while other forms don’t. It helps maintain a healthy magnesium level and relax muscles and thus ease muscle cramps and pain.
Here you can see Vorst’s pure and natural Magnesium Bisglycinate 200 mg Vegan Capsules.
Important resources:
- https://88herbs.com/leg-cramps-night-type-magnesium-actually-works/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5818780/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22909270/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1740-8709.2012.00440.x
- https://betteryou.com/blogs/health-hub/how-magnesium-supplements-can-relieve-muscle-tension#magneisummuscles4
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/magnesium/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/muscle-cramp/symptoms-causes/syc-20350820
- https://drcollins.ca/magnesium-deficiency-causing-muscle-cramps/