Magnesium is present in most cells in your body. It plays a leading role as a cofactor, which means that it helps enzymes to catalyze (a catalyst is a substance that starts or speeds up a chemical reaction without being affected) many necessary chemical reactions.

Magnesium affects many things that your ballet and sports require of you, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Here is a short list:

– nerve conduction, or the sending and receiving of messages that affect muscle response
– muscular movement that affects fluidity, precision and coordination
– bone metabolism, which affects your growth and development, as well as your immune system
– protein manufacturing in the body which is extremely complex
– Metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. A new frontier now being researched is magnesium in relation to insulin resistance, which, once that condition sets in, makes it more difficult to stay slim
– utilization of glucose, which affects brain power and muscle power

Whether your goals in ballet/sports/fitness are personal and recreational, or professional, I’m sure you’ll want all of the above to work for optimal results on your muscles and brain.

Because magnesium allows the muscle contractions that do occur to shut down, it helps control tension and spasms caused by overtraining, intense practice or rehearsal days, and imprecise technique.

Magnesium supplements can be purchased in tablet or powder form. Always read the labels and select brands that have nothing else added to them, except perhaps fruit flavorings from natural sources that you recognize. Powdered magnesium is digested faster. It’s usually a good idea to take half the recommended dose over a couple of days, to allow your body to get used to a nutrient that has been deficient. Magnesium may loosen the intestines at first, but that effect wears off in a day or so. Magnesium carbonate has the greatest effect this way. Magnesium citrate and magnesium lactate are known to be better digested.

Due to the relaxing effect magnesium has, you may sleep more soundly and your high blood pressure may drop to normal levels. Even heart muscle irregularities can be helped by magnesium.

Many flavoring foods are high in magnesium: dill, chives, celery seed, spearmint, sage, coriander, and basil. Put fresh in salads or chopped and sprinkled on vegetables, meat or fish, all of these are delicious.

So for strong bones, good muscle tone (which requires proper relaxation for strength), getting enough rest, and staying calm, eat magnesium! Best obtained from fresh foods, but very useful as a dietary supplement, it is a super star silent companion in your ballet/sports/fitness training.