When we talk about magnesium and electrolytes in sport, it is easy to think only about hydration drinks used to replace what is lost through sweat. Magnesium, however, has a broader role: it contributes to electrolyte balance, normal muscle function, normal energy metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
This makes magnesium particularly relevant for active people and athletes, but taking more does not automatically improve performance. In athletes who already have an adequate magnesium status, additional supplementation has not consistently been shown to increase strength or power.
The key is to distinguish between maintaining an adequate magnesium intake and treating magnesium as a direct performance enhancer.
Magnesium and electrolytes: its role in hydration and performance
Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals involved in many physiological processes. They include sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
Magnesium contributes to normal electrolyte balance, an authorised health claim in the European Union.
Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function, making adequate intake particularly relevant for physically active people.
It contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, which supports the processes the body uses to produce and utilise energy.
Adequate magnesium intake contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
What magnesium actually does within a hydration strategy
During exercise, water and electrolytes are lost through sweat, but not in equal amounts. Sodium is usually the most important electrolyte to consider quantitatively when replacing significant sweat losses, although smaller amounts of other minerals are also lost.
For this reason, magnesium should not be viewed as a replacement for sodium in a sports hydration strategy. Its role is better understood within the broader context of normal electrolyte balance and normal muscle function.
During long training sessions, exercise in hot conditions or in people with high sweat rates, hydration should be adapted to actual fluid and electrolyte losses. Water intake, appropriate sodium replacement when necessary and a balanced diet remain the foundations.
In practical terms, a magnesium supplement may help someone meet their daily magnesium needs, but it does not replace a specific rehydration strategy during prolonged exercise.
Magnesium bisglycinate for athletes: where can it fit?
Interest in magnesium bisglycinate for athletes is largely related to its chelated form, in which magnesium is bound to glycine, and its generally good digestive tolerance.
This can make it a practical option for active people who want to maintain a consistent magnesium intake while avoiding forms that may be more likely to cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
However, the form of the supplement does not change one fundamental principle: the value of supplementation also depends on a person's nutritional status and actual needs.
A systematic review examining magnesium supplementation and muscle fitness found no significant improvements in strength or power for most athletes and physically active people who already had adequate magnesium status. Magnesium is therefore better understood as an essential nutrient that supports normal physiological functions rather than as an ergogenic stimulant.
A systematic review published in 2024 also reported interesting findings relating to post-exercise muscle soreness, although only a small number of studies were available. These results should therefore still be interpreted with caution.
Magnesium +: magnesium for active people and athletes
Magnesium + by Centenarian Road combines two forms of magnesium: ALBION® magnesium bisglycinate and ATA® magnesium acetyl taurate. The recommended daily serving is two capsules.
A chelated form of magnesium selected to complement daily magnesium intake with good digestive tolerance.
A second source of magnesium that completes the Magnesium + formulation.
The product is Informed Sport certified, a particularly relevant consideration for athletes who may be subject to anti-doping testing.
It may fit active lifestyles where the goal is to complement magnesium intake as part of a broader approach to nutrition, rest and recovery.
Magnesium + should not be viewed as a replacement for a sports rehydration drink or as a formula that will automatically improve performance. Its role is to provide magnesium within a nutritional strategy where diet, hydration, carbohydrates, protein and recovery also matter.
View Magnesium + by Centenarian Road
Frequently asked questions about magnesium, electrolytes and performance
Is magnesium an electrolyte?
Yes. Magnesium is an electrolyte and contributes to normal electrolyte balance, muscle function, nervous system function and energy metabolism. These functions are covered by authorised health claims in the European Union.
Does magnesium help with hydration?
Magnesium contributes to electrolyte balance, but it should not be confused with a complete hydration strategy. After significant sweating, water and sodium usually play a particularly important role in fluid replacement. Individual requirements depend on exercise duration, environmental conditions and each person's sweat rate and sweat composition.
Does magnesium bisglycinate improve sports performance?
It cannot be claimed that magnesium bisglycinate improves performance on its own. Adequate magnesium intake is important for normal muscle function, energy metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, but research does not show consistent improvements in strength or power when athletes with adequate magnesium status take additional supplements.
When can taking magnesium make sense if I exercise regularly?
Magnesium supplementation may make sense when dietary intake does not adequately meet individual needs or as part of a personalised nutrition strategy. Training type, diet, training volume and individual circumstances should all be considered. In most cases, consistently meeting magnesium needs matters more than taking it at one specific time of day.
Scientific references
Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 — European Commission
Sets out authorised health claims for magnesium relating to electrolyte balance, normal muscle function, energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Original source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0432
The effect of magnesium supplementation on muscle fitness: a meta-analysis and systematic review — Wang R. et al., 2018
A systematic review and meta-analysis that found no significant improvements in strength or power for most athletes and physically active individuals who already had adequate magnesium status.
Original source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29637897/
Effects of magnesium supplementation on muscle soreness in different type of physical activities: a systematic review — Tarsitano M.G. et al., 2024
A systematic review examining magnesium supplementation and exercise-related muscle soreness. Favourable findings were reported in the limited number of available studies, although the overall evidence remains relatively small.
Original source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38970118/
Sweating Rate and Sweat Sodium Concentration in Athletes — Baker L.B., 2017
A review of fluid and electrolyte losses through sweat and the considerable variability between athletes, highlighting the importance of individualising hydration strategies.
Original source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28332116/
