If you go hard at the gym, it’s important not to overlook recovery. Stretching, foam rolling, and hanging out in the sauna can all help reduce muscle soreness. You’ve probably heard rumblings about magnesium supplements helping too. Not only does the micronutrient play a crucial role in muscle function, but it also supports sleep—another key for crushing your workouts.
But shopping for the right magnesium product specifically for workout recovery is tricky. Not only are there different types of magnesium, but there are also different modalities. Beyond capsule supplements, different topical magnesium products, including oils, lotions, and sprays have multiplied in the marketplace recently.
But which is best to help you recover from a workout and, ideally, get a good night’s sleep? We talked to a doctor, pharmacist, and dietitian who have all studied the mineral to get advice on which products work best.
What exactly does magnesium do?
If you’re going to spend money on a nutritional supplement, it helps to have a basic understanding of how it works. Brace yourself: This micronutrient does a lot.
Here’s a run-down of magnesium’s job description, according to Stella Volpe, PhD, RDN, a registered dietitian and professor at Virginia Tech: It helps make protein, supports bone health by activating vitamin D (crucial for calcium absorption), and regulates blood sugar concentrations.
That’s not even getting into how it supports muscle recovery and sleep. Sports medicine doctor and Sunrider International chief medical advisor Reuben Chen, MD, explains that magnesium supports workout recovery by relaxing the muscles, reducing post-exercise cramping, and restoring energy at the cellular level.
“Magnesium also helps ease soreness, while keeping the nervous system calm and balanced, allowing your body to recover faster,” he says. Dr. Volpe adds to this, saying that magnesium helps reduce inflammation—another way it supports workout recovery.
As for sleep, Dr. Chen explains that magnesium calms the nervous system, priming the body for rest. “It also helps regulate melatonin, the hormone that guides our sleep-wake cycles, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep,” he adds.
It’s important to note: all the experts we talked to said that most people get all the magnesium they need through their daily diet. “Generally speaking, people are not deficient in magnesium if they are eating a balanced diet,” says Alexandre Chan, PharmD, MPH, a professor of clinical pharmacy at UC Irvine. Especially if you eat a primarily plant-based diet, you’re likely getting enough. Some top food sources of magnesium include almonds, spinach, cashews, black beans, rice, potatoes, oatmeal, and salmon.
So is there a benefit to taking a magnesium supplement? Maybe. “We lose magnesium via sweat and stress,” registered dietitian Brittany Michels, RDN, LDN, CPT, previously told GQ. That means, if your shirt is soaked after a workout, your body could likely benefit from some replenishing.
Just make sure not to go overboard. In the case of magnesium, more is not better. According to the National Institutes of Health, adult men should aim to get between 400 and 320 milligrams of magnesium a day and more than 5,000 milligrams a day is considered toxic. Signs you’re getting too much magnesium include nausea, diarrhea, muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, and heart palpitations.