ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews research on magnesium (Mg) status, examines the roles of Mg in skeletal muscle and energy production, and succinctly presents a current digest on the influence of Mg on exercise. It also presents the directions for future research. Mg is crucial to many physical and chemical processes essential for optimal growth, health, and life itself. Mg is an activator of entire classes of enzymes, including those which guide the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mg plays a vital role in maintaining the nervous, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular systems, yet hypomagnesemia is likely the most underdiagnosed electrolyte deficiency. Incorporating Mg load testing within double-blind, crossover supplementation studies will help clarify the effects of marginal Mg deficiency on exercise and sports performance. Mg deficiency may accentuate the adverse effects of exposure to acute or prolonged stress. Mg maintains an intimate association with the body’s common energy currency, ATP.
