Magnesium is everywhere—social media influencers swear by it, and supplement aisles are overflowing with options. But do you really need it? This article breaks down what magnesium actually does, who might benefit from supplementation, and whether it truly enhances sleep, recovery, or performance.

So is it a fad or should you really add a new supplement to your life? Here’s my take:

If you follow any healthy lifestyle influencers, you’ll hear them say we should take magnesium for things like sleep aid, treat muscle cramps and for recovery, but magnesium goes way beyond that. It is a mineral required for hundreds of different reactions in our body, like energy production and protein synthesis. It also helps cells communicate with each other and is a structural component in bones, cells and chromosomes.

While magnesium deficiency is uncommon in the United States, about half of the population may not be eating enough even, despite its abundance in plenty of foods like green leafy vegetables 🥬, nuts 🥜, seeds and whole grains 🍞. There are a few groups of people who are at greater risk for deficiency. If you have a GI disorder like Chron’s disease or celiac disease, an endocrine or metabolic disorder, a long-term use of diuretics (or water pills), or people suffering from alcoholism.

If you are not eating enough magnesium, it’s not likely you’ll experience physical symptoms, but a severe deficiency can cause muscle tremors or GI symptoms. A long-term deficiency may increase your risk of developing a chronic disease (heart disease, diabetes).

In small studies, (meaning not tested on a lot of people) magnesium supplementation has some promising results to reduce muscle soreness following a heavy lifting session and may have a protective effect on muscle damage 1,2.

Maybe one of the most popular claims is that magnesium can help with sleep. Unfortunately, healthy lifestyle influencers aren’t telling you the evidence behind that is thin. While it might make it easier for some to fall asleep, improve quality of sleep or reduce restless leg syndrome symptoms, the studies are too small to recommend a supplement for everyone. Sleep experts will first recommend a better sleep routine before taking magnesium, like limiting caffeine in the afternoon, limiting smartphone usage before bed and creating a relaxing environment to sleep in before suggesting magnesium

There are multiple different types of magnesium supplements on the market and it may be hard to identify which one to take. Magnesium in the aspartate, citrate, lactate and chloride form are absorbed best. I suggest avoiding magnesium oxide because it’s a stool softener and probably won’t be helpful. (Unless, you know, you need that in your life 💩.) Scientists agree you shouldn’t take more than 350mg of magnesium from supplements, otherwise, you might experience diarrhea, nausea and cramps. But, if you’re eating a balanced diet, you are likely getting enough magnesium.

And finally, like everything, don’t just trust what people say on social media. If a supplement like magnesium helped them, great! But we’re all different and certain supplements could impact you the wrong way. Make sure to always talk to your doctor or sports dietitian before starting a supplement.
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(1) Reno, A. M., Green, M., Killen, L. G., O'Neal, E. K., Pritchett, K., & Hanson, Z. (2022). Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Muscle Soreness and Performance. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(8), 2198–2203. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003827

(2) Córdova, A., Mielgo-Ayuso, J., Roche, E., Caballero-García, A., & Fernandez-Lázaro, D. (2019). Impact of Magnesium Supplementation in Muscle Damage of Professional Cyclists Competing in a Stage Race. Nutrients, 11(8), 1927. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081927

What Runners Need to Know About Magnesium

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What Runners Need to Know About Magnesium

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