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The post workout regime can often be as strenuous as the workout itself. Between foam rolling, stretching, icing and calculating your macros, you can dedicate as much time to trying to avoid the dreaded DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) as you can to your gym routine.
But there is a naturally occurring mineral in the body that can help with all that, though it’s one that is often deficient. The average person’s body contains just under 30 grams of magnesium, but this small amount is vital to a number of bodily functions. Magnesium is an essential mineral that is found in all our tissues, including our bones, muscles and brains, and is needed for over 300 enzyme reactions in the body.
Among other things Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to electrolyte balance, to normal muscle function and normal protein synthesis.
If you have been training a lot and are feeling the effects of a tough workout schedule you might find magnesium useful as it helps to support muscle function which may help with issues like cramping. It may also be useful to support relaxation post training as magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system and to normal psychological function.
Magnesium isn’t something we often think about in our diets and as a result most people don’t get enough of it, nor do they have adequate stores of it, often because they relay too heavily on processed foods, which contain very little of this mineral. In addition, magnesium levels are easily depleted by stress, smoking, alcohol (more than seven drinks per week), daily intake of sugar, certain diseases or medications (such as antibiotics, steroids, oral contraceptives, synthetic oestrogens, diuretics) and intense physical exercise or activity. Also the content of magnesium found in food is less than it is was a generation ago due to magnesium deficient soil. For this reason, nutritional supplements may be needed for the maintenance of optimal health. This is where One Nutrition Ocean Mag can help; it’s a highly alkaline magnesium powder which is filtered from clean, Irish seawater and also contains 72 other nutrients and trace minerals.
Supplements aren’t always the answer, so here are some of our other top tips to more effectively recover from a workout
- Stay hydrated. It may sound basic but drink enough water both pre and post exercise.
- Post workout make sure to stretch and use a foam roller to massage out knots and increase blood flow to your muscles.
- Straight after working out, eat a snack that has a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein to help restore the nutrients lost in the muscles during the workout.
- A cold shower after exercise can help to reduce inflammation of the muscles. Or, if you’re brave, try an ice bath, which has been shown to reduce muscle soreness by 20 percent.
