👋 Hey. Welcome to issue #58 of The Everyday Athlete Newsletter.
Here are my 3 favourite ideas, learns and resources to help you improve your performance this week (4 min read):
💊 The magnesium rabbit hole
I always supplemented magnesium to help with calf cramps in footy.
Even now my calves are weirdly twitching constantly twitching.
I stocked up on magnesium at Woolies the other day. Got the cheapest one. Why not. Magnesium is magnesium.
Apparently not.
That question sent me down the magnesium rabbit hole.
Here’s the rundown:
Magnesium is critical for our day-to-day performance – energy, nervous system function, blood sugar, blood pressure and more.
And our long-term health – a lack of can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other fun stuff.
We get it from foods like leafy green veg, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
- Women need 310-320mg of magnesium daily
- Guys need 400-420mg
But over 33% of Aussies don't get enough.
There’s nearly a dozen different types of magnesium. And they’re not all created equal.
If you choose to supplement, a few popular ones to know about:
- 💩 Magnesium Oxide: cheap, doesn’t absorb well, but good for indigestion, constipation and heartburn (what many brands in the supermarket use)
- 👍 Magnesium Citrate: common, absorbs well, like oxide can also help open the pipes
- 🏃 Magnesium Taurate: produces GABA which has calming effect on nervous system, may help manage high blood sugar and high blood pressure, potential muscle recovery benefits
- 😴 Magnesium Glycinate: easily absorbed, calming effects, early research suggests sleep benefits
- 🧠 Mag L-Threonate: crosses blood-brain barrier, may support brain health, potentially aiding the treatment of disorders like depression and Alzheimer’s
So my years of supplementing mostly with oxide was likely doing very little for upping my magnesium intake... Mad.
Takeaways:
- Citrate is an affordable way to generally up intake
- Or use taurate/glycinate/threonate (or a combo) for upping intake + potential specific benefits (what I'm doing now)
But remember, unless you've got your training, sleeping, eating, and sunlight exposure dialled in, supplements like magnesium are majoring in the minors.
Go well.
🙂 Jacob Falkovich on habits:
"The #1 measure of an exercise program should be “is this fun enough to keep me coming back to the gym?” I don’t care how “efficient” HIIT is, it’s for masochists."
5 years ago I started a newsletter for my web design business. It was about websites. It lasted 4 weeks.
Last year I started this newsletter. It’s about performance. This is the 58th edition.
See, habits are about enjoyment.
Because if it's enjoyable, then it's easy, then it sticks.
So when starting something new, fun might be the best formula.
🥵 Success without failure
Former CEO of IBM, Thomas J Watson once said:
“If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.”
I reckon that’s a pretty good formula. In all areas but one.
Strength training.
See, training to failure is one of the biggest misconceptions in the gym.
(this just means doing an exercise to the point of fatigue where you can no longer finish a rep)
I used to think if you didn't max, you're leaving progress on the table.
It’s counterintuitive, but there's plenty of research that actually suggests we pretty much get the same improvement in strength and hypertrophy by going 1-2 reps short of failure.
Plus, keeping a few reps in the tank means we:
- 🥵 Don’t tax the nervous system as much
- 💪 Less muscle damage and soreness
So we’re fresher. Feeling better walking out than walking in. With plenty of energy for work, family, sport, and life. All with the same progress.
So keep some petrol in the tank.
That's it!
Have a great weekend 🤙
Matt
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The Everyday Athlete Newsletter is not a licensed health service and is not a substitute for professional health advice, treatment or assessment. The information given in this email is general in nature, written for a specific audience. If you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional.
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