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Magnesium is the supplement we get asked about more than any other, usually with the same opening line, which is that a friend or a naturopath told them to take it but nobody explained which one. Walk into the shop and there is a whole shelf of it, powders and capsules and sprays and bags of bath flakes, and it is genuinely confusing. So here is the plain version.
Magnesium is involved in hundreds of small jobs around the body, from muscle and nerve function to sleep and energy. Most of us do not get quite enough from food, and things like heavy training, stress and a lot of coffee use it up faster. That is why so many people notice a difference when they top it up, most often with sleep and with those niggling night time leg cramps.
The word after magnesium on the label is the important part, because it changes what the supplement is good for and how gentle it is on your stomach.
Glycinate is magnesium joined to the amino acid glycine. It is the calm one. It absorbs well, it is easy on the gut, and glycine itself is a bit relaxing, so this is the form most people reach for in the evening for sleep and for winding down. If you only ever buy one magnesium, this is usually it.
Citrate absorbs well too, but it has a mild drawing effect in the bowel, which is a polite way of saying it gets things moving. Handy if you tend towards constipation, less ideal right before a long drive. Plenty of people take it for cramps and general use and are perfectly happy with it.
Oxide is the cheap one you see in supermarket multivitamins. It is poorly absorbed and mostly there so the label can say it contains magnesium. We tend to steer people away from it.
A quick rule of thumb. Reaching for sleep and stress, look for glycinate. Sluggish digestion, citrate. Sore muscles after training, a powder you can dose up or the oil you rub straight onto the muscle. None of this is medical advice, and if you are pregnant, on blood pressure or heart medication, or have kidney issues, check with your doctor first.
These go on the skin rather than down the hatch, which is called transdermal magnesium. The research on how much actually absorbs through skin is still up for debate, so we are honest about that. What we can say is that a warm bath with a good scoop of flakes is a lovely thing before bed, and the oil sprayed onto a tight calf or shoulder is popular with runners and gardeners. Fair warning, the oil can tingle on freshly shaved skin, so spray it on legs before you shave, not after.
The capsules are the simple daily option, the powders let you control the dose and mix it into water, and there is a chewable made for kids if that is who you are buying for. If you are not sure where to start, glycinate in the evening is the safe first move.
Most adults sit somewhere around 300 to 400mg of elemental magnesium a day, and the number on the front of the tub is not always the elemental amount, so read the panel on the back. Start at the lower end, take it with food, and if any form loosens your stomach just drop the dose or switch to glycinate. Evening tends to suit people best because of the calming effect.
The full range is under Magnesium, and if you would rather talk it through with a person we are at 936 Anzac Parade, Maroubra, open seven days.
