Magnesium and Potassium: mineral salts for summer heat and sports

The summer brings hot weather that can strain our bodies, causing dehydration, tiredness, and electrolyte imbalance. Then muscle cramps, exhaustion, headaches, and even nausea or tachycardia may appear.

To better cope with this season, as well as in cases of particularly intense sports activities, it is crucial to supplement the mineral salts that we lose through sweating, particularly Magnesium and Potassium, which play a key role in our well-being.

What are mineral salts and what are they for?

Mineral salts are inorganic substances that are essential for life, even though they make up only 6.2% of body weight. The human body cannot produce these minerals on its own; they must be obtained through food or water. Water, in particular, can be rich in mineral salts as it bubbles up from underground, coming into contact with rocks and soil where these minerals accumulate.

Mineral salts are involved in various physiological processes, including the formation of bones and teeth, muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmission, and the regulation of hydrosaline balance.

Mineral salts and electrolyte balance

Some mineral salts function as electrolytes because they also serve to maintain an adequate level of fluid in the body, which is particularly important since water accounts for more than half of the body weight and is essential in all physical and biochemical processes. All electrolytes have the role of conducting electrical charges through the body, thus participating in the transmission of electrical impulses at the nerve and muscle levels, allowing the heart to beat regularly, regulating blood pressure, promoting proper intestinal permeability, and also maintaining the pH level of the blood at an optimal level between 7.35 and 7.45. They are all fundamental functions!

Compared to other vital substances (lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates in particular), the daily requirement of mineral salts is minimal. However, since they are regularly lost through sweat, urine, and feces, we must constantly replenish them.

Among the minerals that contribute most to proper electrolyte balance are magnesium and potassium, which often interact in synergy and are therefore considered interdependent.

Magnesium, what is it for?

Magnesium is essential for the proper functioning of the sodium-potassium pump, which regulates the transport of sodium and potassium ions in and out of cells. This mechanism is crucial for maintaining membrane potential and the transmission of nerve impulses. In the long term, a magnesium deficiency can lead to a potassium deficiency.

Therefore, Magnesium should never be lacking! It is a mineral involved in numerous biochemical reactions and body and metabolic functions, such as:

energy production
protein synthesis
muscle and nerve function
maintenance of a regular heartbeat
good sleep and general well-being, as it promotes muscle relaxation, helping to prevent and counteract cramps, fatigue, and muscle spasms.

Involved in the processes of ATP production, the body's primary source of energy, Magnesium participates in protein synthesis, which is essential for the growth and repair of tissues, especially muscle (the heart is also a muscle!) and nerve tissue.

Magnesium deficiency: symptoms and effects

Any deficiency in this substance can result not only from external factors, such as intense sweating due to heat or physical activity, but also from a low dietary intake. Our diet does not always include food sources that contain it in adequate quantities.

Therefore, especially during the summer months, it is important to bring to the table recipes that contain oil seeds (pumpkin, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and soy seeds), cocoa, dried fruits such as almonds and walnuts, beans, whole grains, and some vegetables, such as spinach, cabbage, and lettuce, which are rich in this precious mineral salt.

Low levels of magnesium in the body can lead to various disorders, including muscle cramps, fatigue, nervousness, insomnia, and even cardiac arrhythmias.

Hence, supplementation becomes essential. How? Thanks to “ready to drink” Magnesium Citrate and Bisglycinate supplements, which are convenient to take with us, with no need to mix with water, because they are ready to drink

Potassium, what is it for?

What about Potassium? What is it for? How much of it is needed? It is the main mineral at the cellular level: approximately 180 g are present in an adult individual.

Twin of Magnesium, this mineral is involved in muscle contraction (cardiac muscle included), helps to balance fluids and other minerals inside and outside cells, and keeps blood pressure in the normal range by reducing the effects of sodium, which we often consume in excess with negative consequences on blood pressure and kidney function.

Potassium can, therefore, also help reduce the risk of kidney stones and the potential loss of bone tissue associated with aging as it promotes calcium accumulation in the bones where needed. The study “The Association of Potassium Intake With Bone Mineral Density and the Prevalence of Osteoporosis Among Older Korean Adults” - conducted on more than 8,000 individuals - examined the relationship between potassium intake and bone mineral density, showing that high potassium intake in women was correlated with increased bone mineral density and a lower risk of developing osteoporosis.

A ubiquitous salt, Potassium is in all foods. However, fresh and minimally processed vegetables and fruits are particularly rich in Potassium, especially tomatoes, potatoes, green leafy vegetables, cucumbers, courgettes, eggplants, pumpkins, carrots, beans, and dried fruits It is also present in smaller quantities in red meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products.

Magnesium and potassium: Why they are so important together

When experiencing deficiencies in both Magnesium and Potassium, it is advisable to choose supplements whose formulation combines these two mineral salts, given their interdependence. Specifically, there are food supplements containing Magnesium and Potassium that are particularly beneficial for muscle weakness and intense sweating during hot weather and sports activities.

Regardless of the temperature and climate, taking mineral salt supplements not only in summer, when the risk of losing them through sweat increases, but also before, during, and after physical activity can help the body maintain a correct electrolyte balance, which is indispensable for every vital process, and can improve performance and promote faster recovery, reducing the risk of cramps and muscle fatigue.