What are the two major symptoms of an active lifestyle?  Muscle Soreness and fatigue. Why? And what can you do to relieve both? We’re going to tell you but be prepared for the answer. It's simpler than you may think. 

Symptoms like muscle soreness  and fatigue are the body’s way of telling you that something is not “normal”. Symptoms can be “loud” or “quiet”.   For example, pain may signal a trauma or injury that shouts for immediate attention. The more severe the injury, the “louder” the pain. Muscle soreness and fatigue, on the other hand, are more "quiet" although still bothersome. You may be stiff and achy with movement. Or you lack the energy you need to think or move but you are not sure why.  Are you sore after extra physical exertion? Are you sleeping poorly? No matter what the cause, the answer for both of these symptoms may be the same: magnesium.   

Why is magnesium required for muscles and,  more importantly, why is the right form so critical?  

Let's use a case example. Although no cause is known for fibromyalgia, it is a condition of pain even at rest and low energy. Although the cause is unknown, several theories abound on what causes the many symptoms that vary from person to person. One is that fibromyalgia may be due to pain amplification. Through a dysfunction in how pain messages are “processed”, the nervous system loses its ability to down regulate the pain once it starts and also amplifies the pain it does process. If you think of pain in terms of  volume, it’s like turning the radio up super loud and then the knob won’t work to turn the volume back down. You literally do feel pain  more than normal people.  

Additionally, researchers have found that mitochondria, the energy producers in each cell, may not be functioning optimally. Nutritional deficiencies may be the cause. Two nutrients that are critical for mitochondria function are magnesium and CoQ10. Hard truth: Both nutrients are found low in fibromyalgia!  Harder truth: few people with fibro are checked for nutritional deficiencies. 

Many healthcare professionals who treat fibro believe you cannot get better without magnesium. Physicians like Mark Pellegrino, M.D., who treats fibromyalgia and has seen more than  40,000 patients in his practice. 

Your muscle soreness and fatigue may not be due to fibromyalgia but the fact is that magnesium is one of the essential macronutrients everybody needs every day. The problem is that most people don’t get the 400-500 mg daily requirement because it is lacking in the standard American diet. According to the Institutes of Health, more than 75% of Americans could have low magnesium levels.

Simple, you say, I’ll just take a supplement. Hold on! That’s a good idea but you need to know how to pick the best one to do the job right. As the adage goes, you only get a supplement benefit if you absorb it. Nothing is truer than with magnesium supplements! Different forms of magnesium are available. You will waste your money taking  a poor quality magnesium and  defeat the purpose of restoring a deficiency. Bioavailability  matters! If your GI tract cannot absorb it, it will “flush” it out, usually with diarrhea, cramping or other unpleasant GI discomfort. 

Why not take a magnesium that is 2-3 times more absorbable than poorer quality ones and easier on the GI system? Through a patented chelate process, Albion magnesium bisglycinate and dimagnesium malate are shown in research studies to do just that.   

One warning: you will have to read the product label carefully. Turn your bottle to look at the Supplement Facts where the individual and other ingredients are listed. Reputable companies who follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) set by the Natural Products Association and the FDA must  follow strict label standards. The form of magnesium must be listed, along with the amount provided in each dose. If the magnesium does not list Albion Magnesium BisGlycinate or Albion Di-Magnesium Malate, , it is not the true and tested magnesium form. If glycinate is listed without the Albion  trademark, it is not the patented form that absorbs 2-3 times better.   

If you find magnesium oxide, citrate or chloride listed  in the Supplement Facts -- the most common forms found in supplements  – rethink your choice. They are  not the best magnesium forms for fibromyalgia or your health.   

One more thing to check for is a magnesium product that contains  co-factors necessary for magnesium to be absorbed and utilized by the body. These cofactors included vitamins B1 and B6 and manganese. Vitamin C is often added to a formula as it adds synergy between the nutrients. Another mitochondria supporting nutrient is malic acid as it aids in the energy production cycle. Malic acid helps decrease pain, too. 

Bottom line: Magnesium helps to increase energy to muscles and nerves and restore mitochondrial function. Yet it still possesses the ability to calm  nerves and muscles. This dual nature allows magnesium to aid both muscle soreness and fatigue.      

One final truth:  Intracellular magnesium is responsible for more than 600 enzyme reactions everywhere in the body. You will want to make sure you get enough by taking at least the minimum dose of 400-500 mg a day.Restoring magnesium levels is not only for fibromyalgia – it is required  for your good health, too. 

Read more about magnesium in The Fibro-Care™ Story and more about fibromyalgia in David's Story.

©TyH, Inc.  For informational purposes only.