Active People Need Magnesium

Although calcium gets most of the headlines, another mineral should be high on the list of any active person. Magnesium contributes to bone growth and helps regulate the muscular and nervous systems. It is vital to normal heart rhythm and especially important for aging exercisers.

Yet federal research shows only 20 percent to 35 percent of Americans 50 and older consume the recommended daily allowance (350 milligrams for men and 280 milligrams for women).

In a controlled study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Human Research Center in Grand Forks, N.D., women who consumed only 150 daily milligrams of magnesium required 10 percent to 15 percent more oxygen and energy to do the same work as women who were getting 350 milligrams each day. The women on the lower regimen also had about 10 heartbeats more per minute, even during low-intensity exercise.

The best food sources are wheat bran, whole grains, raw leafy green vegetables, almonds, cashews, soybeans, bananas and apricots.