What are the Fitness and Health Benefits of Magnesium?
When we’re talking about vitamins and minerals, I believe it’s safe to say that most of us will have calcium, iron and vitamin C on top of our mind. Ok, throw in zinc, and vitamins A and D too. There are many under the list that you may be familiar with, but let me ask you this:
How often does magnesium pop in your head?
Be honest. Not unless you’re a health professional or you’re hardcore on the food you eat, rarely, right?
But you’re a pro cheerleader or aiming to be one and it is just as important to know more about magnesium... it’s health benefits and how it can help in boosting your fitness level.
What is Magnesium?
Let’s take a peek at our unsung hero here…
Well, aside from being part of the chemistry subject and having to memorize the Periodic Table of Elements as a student, you probably know magnesium through the symbol Mg. You might have also felt the effects of inadequate Magnesium in your body, but you didn’t know and shrugged it off as the lack of something else.
Magnesium is an important mineral that’s part of the 7 essential macro-minerals. You might not know it, but it is involved in hundreds of our body’s processes and biochemical reactions by playing as a helper to other vitamins and minerals so our bodies can function normally. This includes blood pressure, metabolism, immunity, strengthens bones (and you might have thought it was just calcium), and nerve and muscle functions among others.
What can it do for us?
Whether you're aspiring or already a pro, your daily physical activities are intense. Magnesium plays a very important role when it comes to overall energy, strength, and disposition. It can greatly improve your fitness performance and the effectiveness of your workout by increasing your strength and power.
1. Improved bone and heart health
Being the helper that it is, magnesium works with Vitamin D by activating it. This process helps our body’s calcium absorption which is important for the 206 bones in our body.
On the other hand, magnesium also works with calcium so to generate heart contractions by helping heart muscles relax.
Pro cheerleading workouts and performances are intense so watch out for abnormal heart rhythms. The lack of it may also lead to osteoporosis, which may affect your posture.
2. Less muscle tension
If you’re experiencing muscle cramps and spasms during and after physical activity, chances are you’re low in magnesium. Around 30% of magnesium is stored in our muscles, so it will help to up your levels.
3. Alleviates headaches
There’s a lot of stress both physically and mentally when you’re doing pro cheerleading which can lead to frequent headaches. The good thing is, you don’t have to rely on just the typical painkillers. Instead, you can increase your magnesium intake to help prevent or alleviate the pain in your head.
4. Decreases anxiety and risk of depression
As I have mentioned earlier, the intensity of what we do in pro cheerleading may sometimes take a toll on us. Magnesium has an important role in healthy brain function by relaxing our nervous system and muscles. So if you’re feeling more down than usual, upping your magnesium intake might help.
5. Lowers exercise-related injury
Since magnesium helps muscles relax and allows them to remain flexible, you also have lesser risks of getting an injury from working out or dancing.
Magnesium-rich food sources
Our body cannot produce Magnesium so it’s a great thing that it is naturally present in readily-available and nutritious foods. You don’t have to spend so much just to get it in your system.
- Avocado
- Almonds
- Green leafy vegetables
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Vegetables
- Tofu
- Eggs
- Seafood
- Whole grains
- Dark Chocolate and Raw Cacao
Start giving yourself a magnesium boost to perform at your best. It’s great for both your mind and your body!
More Fitness and Health Articles for You:
- Pro Cheer Health: 10 Natural Foods to Boost Your Immune System
- Skin Healing Foods You Must Include in Your Pro Cheer Diet
- How to Improve Gut Health to Supercharge Your Energy for Pro Cheer Prep
- 10 Best Superfoods To Add To Your Diet
- Pro Cheer Health: Load Up On These 10 Natural Weight-Loss Friendly Foods
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