Hello and welcome to the Nutrition Diva Podcast, a show where we take a closer look at

nutrition research, trends and claims so that you can feel more confident about your food and nutrition choices.

I'm your host, Monica Reinagal, and today I want to talk about the role of magnesium in preventing muscle cramps because this is something I get a lot of

questions about. On the one hand, a Cochran review of the literature found that magnesium supplements were really no better than

placebo's in reducing cramp frequency or severity.

Now for those who may not be familiar with it, the Cochran review process is very highly regarded in the scientific community for its rigor and its reliability.

On the other hand, a lot of people, including my very own mom, are convinced that taking a magnesium supplement does help to ward off nighttime muscle cramps.

But I think if we take a closer look at both the problem of muscle cramps

and the evidence on magnesium,

this can help us reconcile these seemingly contradictory positions and help you decide whether or not you want to try it.

First of all, not all muscle cramps are the same.

Exercise associated muscle cramps are the same.

Exercise associated muscle cramps,

as the name implies, are frequently experienced by runners

and other professional and recreational athletes.

But muscle cramps are also more common in older individuals and this is a phenomenon

known as idiopathic cramping which just means they don't really know what causes it.

So let's tackle these one at a time

starting with the exercise associated muscle cramps.

Traditionally, these were thought

to be caused by electrolyte imbalance and maybe dehydration.

However, more recent research has cast some doubt on this.

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