Here's a good video about "Creatine Magna Power" and why you should take it

Magna POWER is an ultra high potency and great tasting powdered formula for optimal magnesium supplementation, featuring the best forms of magnesium currently available for those with fatigue, muscle pain, spasms or cramps – magnesium glycinate and Creatine MagnaPower^©.

Purchase here:  
http://www.garymoller.com/Products/Products/N/Naturopaths-Own-Magna-Power-120g.aspx

The minerals in this formula have been sourced from Albion Minerals Laboratories (USA), the world leader and innovator in mineral amino acid chelate nutrition backed by sound science and over 100 patents in mineral nutrition. Magna POWER is very well tolerated even in the highest of doses. Compare the outstanding formula, Magna POWER contains the highest bio-available forms of nutritional co-factors currently available. This product was created for those who are serious about magnesium supplementation.

Key Supportive Benefits of Magna POWER:

• Key product for relief of muscular pain and cramps
• Key product for fibromyalgia
• Supports premenstrual tension
• Supports normal blood glucose regulation
• Supports the relief of tension and migraine headaches
• Supports efficient energy production, ideal for athletes
• Supports nervous tension, mild anxiety and stress
• Supports healthy circulation

What is Magnesium Chelate?

Magnesium chelate is a general term for all forms of magnesium where magnesium is bound to (usually) an amino acid. The absorption of chelated forms of magnesium is excellent, and it makes sense to chelate magnesium with creatine, because 95% of the body’s creatine reserves are stored in skeletal muscles.
Creatine Magna Power^© is the very latest form of magnesium creatine on the market and can be considered an advanced  version of magnesium for those with a higher muscular demand for Mg. Magnesium is a macromineral that has many synergistic effects with creatine. In fact, ATP is actually found in the muscle cells bound to magnesium for stability. Magnesium has been shown to enhance strength and energy levels taken on its own. It is intimately  involved in the energy cycle and has excellent cardio-protective effects as well. Creatine monohydrate has been shown to be very effective in many studies, however many users experience stomach discomfort due to lower absorption rate and breakdown into its by-product called creatinine, in the stomach. Research shows it is actually better  absorbed and tolerated than the traditional creatine monohydrate. Magna POWER  mixes extremely well in water. No side effects have been discovered with this magnesium. Magna POWER is a pure and highly concentrated product.

Supplements Facts Box

Pack size:

• 120 grams powder
• 9 gr per serve (per scoop)

Directions for use:

• Take one rounded scoop (9.0gr) once or twice daily in 250ml water or juice.
• Have before meals for best results.
• If symptoms persist consult your health-care professional.  
• Keep out of reach of children.
• If pregnant consult your health-care professional

Purchase here:
http://www.garymoller.com/Products/Products/N/Naturopaths-Own-Magna-Power-120g.aspx

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

Muscle strength linked to magnesium in older adults

PALERMO, ITALY.

Magnesium is central to human health as it plays a role in a wide range of activities on the cellular level. A deficiency can lead to muscle weakness, fatigue and insomnia. This nutrient may therefore be essential for maintaining muscle strength throughout life.

Evidence from athletes supports a role for magnesium in avoiding damage to muscle cells. Muscle mass and function can be compromised in older age, a condition known as sarcopenia.
Researchers from the University of Palermo investigated the relationship between sarcopenia
and magnesium status.

Magnesium status was found to be significantly related to each of the measures of muscle strength - grip strength, lower-leg muscle power, knee rotation, and ankle strength.

_________________________

Gary Moller comments:

Depending on the study, around 70% of adults do not get enough magnesium in their diets to remain healthy. Hard exercise, emotional stress, injury, illness and various medications boost our daily requirements.

Few athletes would not benefit from supplemeting their diets with this mineral which is their principal protection from muscle cramps.

Magnesium has an important role, working with other nutrients including vitamin D, for prostate, blood pressure and bone health.

Programmes to reduce falls in the elderly are a wasted exercise if nutrition (including Mg intake) is poor because physical strength can not be created out of thin air. Any gains will be temporary, impossible to sustain for long.

Magnesium supplementation is cheap and very safe. Up to 800mg of total Mg can be safely taken per day depending on need.

Preventing cramp in a long distance runner

"Hi Gary
Tried what you said last night. I went to bed and felt a bit of cramp in my toes and inside of leg and if I pointed my toes forward they instantly cramp, so went and got the Active Elements and chew/swilled them and cramp dissappears straight away.

I guess this means that I need to increase the daily dose but I would also appreciate any ideas you have for what to do during the long races, like Lake to Lighthouse will be 9-10 hour day 1 and 7-8 hrs day 2. Some guys I train with add half teaspoon sea salt /litre to their drinking water? Any ideas would be very much appreciated. Thanks Gary."
__________________________

Gary....

When tissue mineral salts are dissloved in the saliva and swilled about in the mouth, washing the

 salt under the tongue, between the gums and cheeks and so on, quite a lot is absorbed through the delicate, tissue that is a profusion of blood vessels.  This tissue of the mouth is called the "buccal lining".  Within seconds the tissue salts are transported to just about every cell of the body.  This is why a drop of cyanide under the tongue can cause death within seconds.

Sea salt is much better than free flow table salt.  Read this:

"Commercial iodized salt is refined in a high-temperature (1200 degrees Farenheit) flash-cooling process, which tightens the molecular bond and makes refined salt less soluble and harder to digest.  In addition, commercial salt usually contains many additives other than iodine, including sugar, sodium silico aluminate, magnesium carbonate, silicon dioxide, sodium ferrocyanide (!!!), and green ferric ammonium sulfate, all of which are permitted to promote free flow"
Source here

Aluminium is your fast track to dementia and would you feed that to your kids?  The ferrocyanide compound is poisonous, but nowhere near as poisonous as potassium or sodium cyanide. The iron in the formula decreases the toxicity by combining with the cyanide, instead of the cyanide reacting with hemoglobin in the bloodstream. But it still seems really dumb to put it into food!    Free flow salt also tends to be pure NaCl, rather than the mix of many salts one finds in Nature.  So, sea or rock salt is probably better than the free flow stuff. 

When you exercise hard; sweating, muscle damage and so on, sea salt does not provide

 the best solution.  There are 12 tissue salts consisting of 18 elements and all of these are needed in varying quantities and this is further complicated by individual differences.  The best thing to do is to work out your personal needs by an Active Elements Assessment.

Please read this advice here about how to use the Active Elements as a valuable source of "electrolytes" when doing activities like running a marathon.

Incidentally, when cycling around Samoa, sweating gallons along the way, I used the Active Elements as we went as well as eating lots of salty food.  My hydration improved during the trip showing that I had acclimatised well to the heat and humidity.

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Cramps suffered while running the Rotorua Marathon

Hi Gary.
Yesterday I completed my first Rotorua marathon. I'm one of these guys who reached 50 last year and decided to set myself a goal. In hind site I probably should have started with something a bit shorter but ignorance is bliss and at the end of the day I achieved my goal and am not suffering too badly today as a result. In fact I really want to do it again next year because I know I can improve on my time. Although I finished I had a couple problems during the race which I would appreciate your advice on.
I completed the first 25k really comfortably, had paced myself well, was feeling really good and felt that I would be able to complete the second half slightly quicker than first. However just after the 30k mark I began to feel a little light headed and then shortly after that began to cramp in my right hamstring. I slowed to a walk and the cramping eased within 50 to 100 m. When I resumed running within a aprox 1km I cramped again. I resumed walking and repeated this scenario several times. As my goal was to finish in whatever time and I was walking comfortably at pace I completed the last 8 to 10 km in this manner.
I drank well before and during the race including the Leppin Enduro Boost so wouldn't think dehydration was the cause. However while training I never went much beyond 3hrs so was pushing into "uncharted waters" at this point on race day. Perhaps the wind was a factor but I wasn't feeling chilled by it.

I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Geoff
_______________________________
Gary Moller comments:
Geoff,
There is no single cause of cramp. Successfully overcoming the problem requires attacking every possibility. Here's a list of suggestions:

• Practice running 2-3 hours once a week, building up gradually over 8-12 weeks, on an empty stomach. Drink only water. Best done in the morning before breakfast. Build up very gradually, stopping each time shortly after you hit that light-headed and wobbly leg stage. You should find that the time and distance extends as the weeks tick by.
• Run 5km as either races or fast time trials each week to condition your body to working at high levels of intensity. Best done about 2 days of rest after your 2-3 hour run.
• Get your body electrolyte balance right. Taking an electrolyte drink that replaces just a handful of the electrolytes lost can make things much worse over the long term. Complete the Active Elements assessment here and I will help you balance your body salts. This can make a huge difference.
• It is very likely that you have burned your muscles deficient in several key amino acids such as alanine, carnitine and glutamine. Supplementing with these can bring about a performance boost if deficient. I can assist with working out which may work for you.
• Get a deep tissue massage once a week on all of the leg and butt muscles. Concentrate on the sore parts first, including the hamstring that seized up.
• Stretch the legs and back on a regular basis. The exercises in my book on Back Pain are perfect for runners.

Talk to Gary Moller (First 5 minutes are free):

Advice sought about post-exercise muscle cramp

"I enjoy hillwalking and a few months ago did the most arduous walk yet. Next day my thighs were tight for a day and next day fine.

However on this second day a knot started in my right calf and progressed to almost crippling status and remained for 3-4 weeks before suddenly disapearing. Whilst there I took anti inflam , asprin and ibufrofen gels without much relief.

I went on almost as hard a walk 3 weeks ago and although filled with trepidation, nothing untoward occurred. I was on holiday this week and played a round of golf and carried my bag. Now 2 days later the cramp has re-ocurred.
Help? Whats going on?"Gary Moller comments:
This 41 year old male appears to be in reasonable shape; but definitely overdid things by doing a hike that appears to have been partially unplanned, turning into a 16 mile hike over and around a couple of mountain peaks. It is understandable that he suffered a quite severe calf strain/cramp that has not resolved.

It may never completely resolve unless dealt with properly.

Here are some observations and advice:

Should one take anti-inflammatories?
In most instances, the answer is "No!"This is because anti-inflammatories may interfere with the processes that lay down healthy collagen scar tissue. If this process is interfered with, the resultant healing may be weak and prone to further injury. Inflammation is healthy: it is the body's mechanism for bringing blood, nutrients and other resources to the injury site. It makes no sense to suppress this mechanism with drugs. These drugs can also interfere with digestion and therefore your nutritional status. While it may have the injured limb back in action sooner (this is questionable anyway) this may be a fool's gain.

The only "anti-inflammatories" that might help are natural ones. Kordel's MSM is one as are Omega oils like fish oil, flaxseed oil and olive oil. Evening Primrose oil is very beneficial. These enhance the healing process rather than interfere with them.

Re-mineralise the body
I doubt there is a 40+ year old male or female who leads an active and stressful life that is not deficient in minerals, principally magnesium. Exhausting exercise chews through magnesium and may result in disabling muscle cramps and failure to recover. In conjunction with the minerals is the need for rich supplies of the B group of vitamins.

So, my advice is to top up with a magnesium supplement and a B group supplement. You can also add a lengthy soak in an Epsom Salts bath which relaxes the muscles while supplying sulphur and magnesium through the skin.

Minerals can be obtained from a bone broth that is consumed daily and this is additional to a course of magnesium supplementation.

Take the guessswork out of supplementation and improve your health by ordering a hair tissue mineral analysis. Although $225 it is well worth the cost.

Massage the injured limb
It is highly likely, if not inevitable that there are still painful knots within the calf muscle that was injured. The uninjured limb may be similarly affected but to a lesser degree. As long as these knots remain there will be ongoing pain and limitations on ability to exert oneself. The risk of further injury is great and rest alone is never the solution. Deep tissue massage is the solution but only commence this 2-3 weeks after the dietary measures have had time to kick in.

Deep tissue massage causes damage to the unhealthy tissue that forms the knot within the muscle. The damage is in carefully controlled doses, stimulating the body's natural healing processes to lay down new healthy tissue to replace that unhealthy tissue. It is painful but highly effective - but only if your nutritional status is healthy.

Deep tissue massage the calf muscle to break down and soften any hard knots and injury-prone spots within the body of the calf. This requires about 30 days to have a lasting effect done every 3-4 days. Get this done by an experienced therapist. If in Wellington I can do this for you.

Do a steady buildup in fitness next time
Recovery includes a steady increase in fitness over about three months and then maintaining a high level of fitness indefinitely through consistent weekly exercise and good nutrition.

Think specificity: If your most challenging past time is hiking mountains, even if only a couple of times per year, then the bulk of your weekly fitness training should be geared towards preparing for these hikes. That means getting outside and doing a lot of walking over tracks and trails. Training in a gym on a treadmill, elliptical and lifting weights are beneficial; but should not be the principal fitness training for hiking. Hiking each week is best.

Preventing leg and foot cramps associated with scuba diving

Hi Gary,
I am very impressed with your advice, service, and products.
I will come back to you but for now - THE CRAMP MAG AND CRAMP BUSTERS must have done the trick cause I did 4 dives on my initial course with a healthy dose of stress thrown in and - NO CRAMP. I TOOK MAG AND CRAMP BUSTERS ON THE PRECEDING COUPLE OF DAYS.
So far I am wrapt with my contact with you and I am a walking advertisement.
Thanks "N"

Photo: Jacques Cousteau, inventor of the modern aqualung
____________________________________
Gary Moller comments:
This happy chappy was suffering extremely uncomfortable foot cramps while scuba diving to the extent he was concerned for his safety. After discussing the matter with him, determining his background, health history etc some specific recommendations with regards to equipment and supplementation were given for him to follow.

For articles that refer to cramp that I have written go here.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in office workers

A New Zealand study has warned that that office workers are at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT)from sitting immobile at their desks.

The Sunday Telegraph newspaper says sitting immobile at a desk for hours at a time will be revealed as a serious risk factor for so-called "economy class syndrome".

It says a study to be presented at the annual conference of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand later this month has found prolonged immobility at work is the most common factor shared by DVT patients.

Researchers found one in three people attending an outpatient clinic reported sitting for eight hours or longer before suffering a venous thromboembolism.

The worst-affected were managers, IT workers and taxi drivers, according to the research from the Medical Research Institute in Wellington.
(Click on the title for the whole news report).
__________________________________________
Gary Moller comments:
This research by Professor Richard Beasley has been long overdue. It illustrates the dangers of sitting for long periods without moving regardless of the location.

I recognised this risk several years ago and developed a seminar for athletes, coaches and team managers on the dangers of sub-clinical DVT and its detrimental effects on athlete performance. I learned many years ago from experienced world class runners like Rod Dixon, Dick Quax and Dick Tayler that one could never produce a personal best if the journey to the race venue was any longer than a few hours within a day of the event. The usual action, by these athletes, upon arrival at their venue was to put on their running kit and do a quick blow out to get the blood circulating.

I have dug out my old handout notes and turned them into a downloadable file. The advice applies equally to desk jockeys as it does to atheltes.

Here is the link - have a read and let me know what you think.

I get restless legs and can’t sleep - Please help me!

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a horrible condition that is poorly understood and for which there are few medical treatments other than sedation and muscle relaxants. An athlete in training does not want these. The condition may also be associated with or confused with night cramps.

RLS is more common in older people and may be associated with poor circulation and poor nutrition and as a side effect of medications for other conditions like high blood pressure. Excessive caffeine, red wine and chocolate before bedtime might be factors. Symptoms include feeling like something is crawling about inside the legs, an uncontrollable urge to tense and straighten the legs and cramping feelings in the legs and feet. This can be intolerable and renders sleep next to impossible.

Little has been written about RLS in athletes despite it being quite common. In the case of athletes, RLS is probably the result of over training, over-indulgence in caffeine and nutritional deficiencies, especially magnesium and B vitamins depletion. Here are some suggestions that might help bring some relief:

• Do the bulk of your training early in the day, rather than late afternoon or evening so that recovery is well on the way before sleep.


• If you notice the symptoms abate during your recovery weeks you might be over-training. You may benefit from reducing the overall volume of training and doing a more graduated build up.


• Get off caffeine and other stimulants and avoid red wine and chocolate in the evening and any other foods or substances that you think might upset sleep. If you have been a habitual caffeine taker, it may take up to three weeks to get through the withdrawal symptoms, so you must be strong.


• Have your last big meal well before sleep so that you are not digesting a full stomach while trying to sleep.


• Do not eat heavily spiced meals, such as hot curry and chilli peppers in the evening.
  Try a course of magnesium, calcium and B group vitamins supplementation to reduce cramping. Take one of each of these supplements about an hour or less before bed. Take with a warm cup of milk.
  Have a Super Smoothie with whey protein. Add some creatine and take before and after exhausting exercise.


• A glutamine supplement in the evening might assist.


• Have a relaxing bath with Epsom salts and a gentle massage of the legs before going to bed.


• Sleep in a cool, dark room without excessive bedding so that you do not overheat the legs. The legs should always be several degrees cooler than your core temperature.

If symptoms persist, or if you want assistance with refining this advice to suit you, give me a call.

How to prevent muscle cramp during an event like the Oxfam trailwalker 100km

"Dear Gary,
I have entered with a team into the Oxfam 100km trailwalker this April. I have suffered really bad muscle cramps in the past when doing long runs. Do you have any advice about diet and supplements during training to prevent this happening again?
Thanks"
Anon.
_________________________________
Gary Moller comments:
I have had several enquiries like this one for advice from walkers and runners who have entered the Oxfam Trailwalker 100km April 14-15, 2007). The challenge of the Trailwalker is to complete 100kms in 36 hours as a team of four and raise funds to help some of the world's poorest people.

Whether you intend to walk or run the Oxfam Trailwalker 100km, it’s a gruelling challenge and the odds are that you and your team mates are going to suffer cramping of some kind. So, let’s concentrate this article on what you can do with diet and training to avoid being hampered by cramp during the event. Train your ability to use fat stores When doing an event like the Oxfam Trailwalker, you have near limitless supplies of body fat for energy; but very limited internal supplies of your other source of energy: glycogen. When your glycogen runs low, as it will no matter how you get from A to B with 100km between, you must rely increasingly upon your fat stores for the energy to keep going. However; this is not easy if you are a typical Kiwi who is never further than several metres from a food source. Not being used to digging deep into your fat stores during intense physical exercise will result in only one thing: dead in the water exhaustion and muscle cramps. You need to train your body to operate efficiently using its fat stores.

This means having your last meal about two hours before exercise and doing your longest training runs/walks of the week on water only. You should be steadily building up to being able to trot comfortably for about three hours once a week, or to walk at a steady clip for about four hours.

It is important to cut the junk carbohydrates out of your daily diet - sugar, white flour, corn syrup and so on and replace these with whole food sources like wholemeal bread, oats, Kumara, taro, yams and spuds. Whole foods sourced carbohydrates are digested more slowly, they contain more nutrients and cause less stress on metabolic regulators like the pancreas.
Consuming sweets, gels and sugary drinks while you are exercising will not allow your body to learn how to burn fat efficiently. My free e-book "Training for a Marathon" has more information about training endurance capacity (download from http://www.healthandlifestyle.co.nz/).

You may initially get intense carbohydrate cravings during your long training sessions. However, if you stick at it you will be delighted with the results: The cravings will diminish and you can maintain a steady clip for much longer. I have found that this takes at least three months to really kick in, so start now. Build your body's mineral stores while you still have time Barely a single modern person's diet is adequate in minerals. Our depleted agricultural soils and limited range of cultivated crops sees to that, as does our general aversion to eating organs like the liver and making mineral rich broths from beef bones. Magnesium and calcium are critical for health, including muscle function. It can take several months, if not a year or so of supplementation to build a depleted body's stores in muscles, bones and organs like the liver. Rich body stores of minerals are your defence against muscle cramps during events like the Oxfam Trailwalker. During the remaining weeks of your preparation I recommend that you take two tablets of Calcium Complete and two capsules of Magnesium Complete per day, spread over the day and with food.

Eat organ meats like liver and kidney and make beef bone soups that have the bones well and truly simmered to release the bone minerals. Eat your leafy vegetables. Take extra B vitamins, extra antioxidants and glutamine and boost vitamin D

Minerals and the B group of vitamins work together to keep muscles, nerves (and brain) working, so you need extra B vitamins on a daily basis when doing all of the training you must do in preparation for walking or trotting 100km. Take two Super B tablets per day with food.

Vitamin D is like a mineral magnet and without high levels in your body, your ability to uptake and use minerals like magnesium and calcium is seriously compromised (This is why sunlight deprivation causes disease like rickets, osteoporosis and muscles weakness). Its importance for health is frequently overlooked possibly because vitamin D is free and does not require a prescription.

You can also take additional antioxidants into your body to keep muscles resistant to damage by taking a daily antioxidant supplement. However, your main source of antioxidants is bright coloured fruit and veggies including berries. Dark berries like blueberries and black currant also provide some protection from sunburn which is important at this time of year. The amino acid Glutamine aids muscle repair and recovery. It is best taken before and after exercise.

Note: You can order the supplements referred to in this article from http://www.myotec.co.nz/ or you can find similar products from your local natural health store.

How do I overcome the "stitch" when running?

ia

"Hi Gary

I have decided Im going to do my first half marathon this year in October - I have an average fitness level playing netball twice weekly, swimming once a week and biking 11km each way to work at least 3 times a week.

I have dutifully set my alarm clock 20 minutes earlier than the norm and have pre-set out a kilometre circuit I can run from my door (using my cars km clicker).

After 3 weeks of training I am up to a comfortable 2km run in around 8 - 10 minutes but havent been able to bust past this distance due to stitch pains under my rib cage, right hand side.

Ive researched extensively into "the stitch" and have tried the thumb pressure for a few minutes technique, relaxing my gut, walking for a bit til it subsides and I run on an empty stomach (no food or water) in the morning (around 6.20am).

I know this is beginners stuff and I REALLY want to overcome my 2km brick wall so I can have a go at the Akld Round the Bays in March."
"Frances"
__________________________
Gary Moller comments:
The stitch as described here by Frances is most likely caused by either jostling stress on the ligaments that support the stomach, poorly conditioned transverse abdominals or from spasm of the diaphragm muscle. Because she is suffering stitch early in the morning before eating or drinking, it is reasonable to initially preclude the stomach ligament theory and to concentrate on the diaphragm. We will deal with the transverse abdominal muscles possibility in another posting if the following recommendations do not work.

The diaphragm is a broad, thin muscle that inflates and deflates the lower lobes of the lungs. It naturally works hard when running. Because of its broad expanse blood supply to it can easily become inadequate during exercise and it only takes a few of its fibres to cramp up to cause disabling pain.

Although Frances is quite fit relative to most women, she is still a novice when it comes to running. This kind of cramp is most common in beginner runners who breathe quite hard despite the relatively slow pace. As endurance training continues it becomes less of an issue because breathing becomes less intense and the proliferation of capillaries in the diaphragm means a much better blood supply to the areas that were prone to cramping.

It is possible that Frances might be low in magnesium (most people are) and a course of maganesium over three months would be interesting to trial and highly recommended.

Here is what I advise Frances to do in training:

• Commence her morning runs with five minutes of power walking before breaking out into a steady trot. This will give time for her circulation to wake up and be fully pumping before revving the engine.
• Run steady on the flat sections of her running course, power walk up and down hills.
• Power walk 2-3 minutes at the slightest hint of the stitch coming on.
• Do one long run/walk per week of from 2-3 hours right away, such as on a Sunday morning. The idea is to get the time on the feet right away even if it is 90% walking to start with. This could even be a weekly hike with a light back pack through the Hunua or Waitakere Ranges (Frances is in Auckland) with all of the running during the week.
  

Why do I keep going on about magnesium?

Magnesium deficiency is widespread in all populations, including athletes. I first twigged to the importance of magnesium years ago when some researchers began administering it to heart attack victims upon entering emergency departments to see if it helped survival.

Magnesium deficiency contributes to high or erratic blood pressure, heart disease, poor circulation and muscle cramps. It calms the nerves.

When is magnesium deficiency suspected?
Magnesium deficiency should be suspected if any person has developed cardiovascular problems, muscle cramps, tendon problems, back and neck pain, fibromyalgia, stress, anxiety and nervous twitches. Incidentally, it is often associated with vitamin D (sunlight) deficiency. Many of the ailments I come across are cardiovascular and muscular in nature. Magnesium deficiency is suspected in many cases as a significant contributing factor. Sometimes the improvement from a few simple measures, including magnesium (and other mineral) supplementation is spectacular.

Is it more common nowadays?
We don't really know; however, we know much more about the importance of magnesium and there is good reason to think it is more common nowadays. For a start, we are living longer and older people don't eat as much or absorb nutrients quite as well as they did when young.

Magnesium deficiency is more likely nowadays because of our refined foods diet and the fact our vegetables are gown on intensively cultivated lands that have about 70% less trace minerals in them than 50 years ago (This is a good reason for growing your own veggies and feeding them with composted seaweed). Mineral water is often a good source of magnesium, but not so in most filtered water and zero in distilled water. Sea salt contains trace minerals, including magnesium. Processed salt (sodium chloride) has no trace minerals worth considering.

Sweat increases magnesium loss, so a person working or exercising for long periods in hot conditions has larger than usual needs for dietary magnesium. Topping up an athlete’s depleted magnesium stores will give a significant gain in both power and endurance and is the principal way to prevent muscle cramping.

How much magnesium do you need to keep healthy?
If deficiency is suspected, I recommend taking up to 800mg supplementary magnesium per day for three months. This is combined with other minerals, including calcium. After three months this can drop to less than 400mg.

Magnesium is stored in the organs, including the muscle and bones. While it is easy to boost blood levels in a day or so, it can take many months to build body stores. This is why I recommend a period of deliberate supplementation before backing off and then relying principally on diet.

Why don’t we hear more about the importance of magnesium?
The answer is simple, as well as disturbing: magnesium is dirt cheap and does not require a medical prescription. It is just like sunlight (vitamin D) which gets little or no promotion. This is despite the overwhelming evidence of the health benefits of magnesium for conditions like heart disease and ragged nerves.

There is no money to be made out of magnesium; whereas there is billions to be made out of all manner of heart drugs for example. You get it in your water, cheap sea salt and in your veggies. A course of magnesium supplementation costs just $10-15.

Trouble with cramp - some solutions

Dear Gary,
"I thought you might be interested in a de-brief from the Rotorua marathon and I would value some advice.

My biggest worry with Rotorua (apart from fitness!!) was getting cramp. I tried to overcome this by good training including 7 of my long runs over 30 k's, some hard short runs, and some hill work. Serious training started in Jan and included the Franklin 1/2. I had probably never been fitter leading in to Rotorua and injury free. I was also taking magnesium, calcium, and joint repair.

I had a good breakfast on race day and plenty of water. Also plenty of water throughout the race, some power aid and leppins squeezy later in race. But still I was stricken by leg cramp at exactly the Whakatane turnoff (30 kms). I could feel it coming on a k or 2 earlier and knew it was a matter of time. It struck hard in my right calf and left knee and I immediately dropped to the ground in a press up position and stretched out my legs. I carried on and forced myself to run through the cramp (I could feel it moving around my muscles) until it was bearable and then it would strike m further on. I went through that agonising process time and time again (knowing that my wife was only minutes behind me!) until it left me at about 2 kms from the finish and I was able to finish quite freely and quite fast. "

Anon
__________________________________

World champion marathon runners generally spend at least 10yrs preparing and are world class 5 and 10km runners. Even if you are not world class, you can still copy the general principles of their training.

My Advice:
If it were possible to invent a cure-all for cramp, I would be a very wealthy man! The sad fact is there is no single solution. The most effective approach to prevention is to try to cover as many of the possible causes and hope that one, or a combination of them works. Prevention requires attention to training, diet, what you do in the days before the race and what you do duing the race and how you run it. When reading this, please refer to the updated Guide to Training for a Marathon.

• Train, race, train, race and even more training. I ran my first marathon in 2hrs 42 minutes with no special training, other than running competitively for about 15 years and doing big 2-3 hour Sunday runs on an empty stomach with the boys (and one girl - sister Lorraine) over the mountains overlooking Dunedin. That marathon was in Southland during October immediately following a winter of cross-country and road racing. Your buildup to any marathon should be at least 6 months and include the combination of long runs and short races.
• Top up your body's mineral stores, principally calcium and magnesium. While some benefit may be noticed, after supplementing with these for a few weeks, it may take several months of taking more than the recommended daily allowances to fully replenish body mineral stores. These minerals are essential for muscle and nervous system functioning, including preventing and treating cramping. It is very common for these minerals to become depleted; especially in women, teenage boys and men and women from about 40 years on. Heavy exercise; especially if sweating heavily increases need. You can purchase these supplements from the http://www.myotec.co.nz/ store.
• Train your body to use fat. It takes at least 3 months following the diet and training guidelines in the Training for a Marathon Guide for the body to show improvements in fat useage. You will notice this by fewer intense carbo cravings when on really long runs and your ability to go longer and faster on an empty stomach will be markedly improved. Your body learns to spare its muscle glycogen and this means less chance of muscle cramping glycogen depletion at about 30km (hitting the wall!).
• Learn to run steady effort pace. I ran the Crazy Man a few weeks ago. This was 18km of muddy mountain trails, followed by 38km of even muddier mountain biking. I finished in about 4.5hrs in second place for my age group. Although I was running at a very steady effort, I was being passed by the same competitors again and again during the run. They were running at an uneven pace. Every time a runner accelerates - even slightly - this costs precious muscle glycogen stores. I passed every single one of these runners towards the end of the run or during the bike, as exhaustion and cramp disabled them. When running a marathon, start slow and gradually build the pace so that your 2nd half is slighly faster than the first.
• Replenish glycogen stores as you go. During a marathon, this is next to impossible if you are running at about 3.30 hrs pace or faster. This is where the gels and electrolyte drinks come into play; but take special care with these if running hard. Refer to the guide to Training for a Marathon for more details.
• Get caffeine free. If you are a caffeine addict, your natural fat metabolism processes are compromised. Caffeine is only of any benefit to an athlete if they are not habitually taking in caffeine. Then, if you are caffeine free and if you are following the Training Guide, you will have no need for dosing up on caffeine on race day.
• Do not travel long distances within 24hrs of racing. If you spend more than about 4-6 hours sitting in a car or plane, the blood stagnates in your legs. While it may not clot like happens in deep vein thrombosis (DVT), it still goes off a little. This is why you feel tired, heavy and mentally lethargic following travel. The runner might notice that their resting pulse is slightly elevated for a day or so. It has always been traditional among the running professionals to go for a brisk 20 minute run immediately upon arrival to blow out the cobwebs. They also know that it is impossible to produce a personal best performance immediately following travel other than a few hours duration. So, travel to your race destination 2 days before the race. Failing that, stop and go for a quick jog every hour of travel. Take extra fish oil with vitamin E around the time of travel to improve circulation and to reduce any possibility of clotting. I also recommend a quality antioxidant to reduce any degradation of the blood cells through oxidation.
• If you suffer disabling cramps during a marathon. Slow down, gently stretch the offending muscle group. But do not stop altogether for more than a minute or two, lest you completely seize up. Keep the muscles warm. If dehydrated, get fluids in. Definitely try to ingest crabohydrates, best in liquid form. You might like to take two Magnesium Complete capsules: Break them open and disslove in water and ingest (magnesium is a mild laxative, so be prepared!). Power walk, if necessary for as long as 20 minutes while doing these measures and giving time for them to take effect. Resume running cautiously and see what happens.

At last! "Evidence" that Phiten works

In my earlier posting about Phiten, I was very sceptical of the amazing health and performance claims of this athletic product. I asked for evidence that it really does work because, try as I did, I could find nothing.

During my fruitless searches, here is what one a leading exercise physiologists wrote me about Phiten: "..as you are well aware we are inundated with miracle cures and quick fixes - most with absolutely no substance - I personally take no interest (personal or academic) in these things that tend to try to make up for a lack of common sense inactivity and poor nutrition".

At last, evidence: somebody sent me the following article:

http://www.metacog.co.uk/images/Athletics%20Weekly%20Review.pdf



Without offering any evidence, the article says:

“Phild Processing” is a process that has been proven to enhance kinetic ability in the body, preventing injuries and back pain. Helping to actualize one’s potential in sports or in daily life, Phiten’s Titanium products are used worldwide by athletes and other people who have begun to recognize the high potential hidden in these products."

This and the rest of the article is absolute rubbish because it offers no evidence to support these astonishing claims. It demonstrates the complete lack of objectivity of the editors of these kinds of sports and fitness publications which rely on advertising to be viable.

Does it work; or is it just another scam?

I competed in the Crazyman last weekend. It was one of the most gruelling events I have ever done (came 2nd in my age group, btw and cramp-free). Cramp was a huge problem for many, if not most of the competitors in the Crazyman. One of the sponsors gave away "Phiten" titanium anti-cramp patches to every competitor and I spent most of the race staring at these things that were plastered on hamstrings, calf muscles and shoulders. As, I said, there was no shortage of cramp during the race - this, despite the liberal presence of Phiten patches.

Phiten Titanium products are heavily promoted world-wide with slick marketing that makes liberal use of some of the World's most famous athletes. Being well-paid professionals, they must surely be right when they swear by the magical properties of these products.

I am sceptical. I keep thinking of "snake oil"

Apparently, a commonly used trick is to have the customer lift a concealed brick with an outstretched hand which they have initial difficulty with. After applying the titanium, the lift is executed with relative ease and this is attributed to the magical properties of the product. Of course, this is utter rubbish: The improvement is the result of the brain reprograming for the 2nd effort after being deceived by the first attempt. It had nothing to do with the titanium.

Phiten claims to have a secret method by which titanium is rendered soluble in water, as well as rendering it with special bioelectric qualities. Search as I did, I could find no published research about this method that they call "Phild". I have a reasonable academic background in chemistry and I understand that titanium is a very hard metal that is extremely corrosion resistant and insoluble in water. Until I am shown the science behind the secret Phild process, I think the claims are bunkum.

I seriously question the claim that wearing a titanium impregnated patch, bracelet or beanie will have any effect on deep underlying muscle. They would have us believe that the titanium ions, that have somehow been rendered water soluble, now magically penetrate the waxy skin layer, the thick subcutaneous fat layers and then the muscle sheaths to finally penetrate the muscle and then exert some strange bioelectric effect on them. This is a miraculous feat and one that few other products have ever mastered, including anti-inflammatory rubs that are heavily promoted to athletes, although they are also of little practical benefit to the user.

These products serve only to line the pockets of already wealthy executives - probably in New York.

Of course, I would welcome a representative from Phiten to post a response to this article - to put the record straight by presenting peer reviewed and published scientific evidence that validates the claims of their advertising and their sales representatives.

While we await this evidence, my advice for avoiding muscular aches and pains associated with exercise and competition is to stick with tried and proven methods, including preparing properly with a tailored fitness programme, a suitable diet and stocking up body stores of magnesium and other minerals. I have already written much about this and I can tell you that these strategies really do work for the majority of athletes.

Oh! - while I am at it - can somebody tell me this; can I improve circulation and reduce cramp if I rub titanium-containing sunblock all over the affected parts? Its much cheaper.