Research published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (September 2014; Volume 100, Issue 3, Pages 974–981) examined the effects of magnesium supplementation on physical performance in older adults. The study included 139 healthy elderly participants with an average age of 71.5 years, all of whom were attending a fitness class.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or 300 mg of magnesium per day for 12 weeks. Physical performance was evaluated using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), along with measurements of lower-limb strength and handgrip strength.
After 12 weeks, the group receiving magnesium demonstrated significantly higher SPPB scores, improved chair-stand performance, and faster 4-meter walking speeds compared with the placebo group. These improvements were most pronounced among participants whose baseline dietary magnesium intake was below the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA).
The authors concluded that “12-week daily magnesium oxide supplementation seems to improve physical performance in healthy elderly women, suggesting a role in preventing or delaying age-related decline in physical performance.”
