Author: Oleksandr Maksymenko (Certified Sports Nutritionist, MSc)
Interested in giving magnesium a try as an exercise supplement? In this list we’ll be covering the best magnesium for muscle recovery available.
Magnesium is found in a wide range of foods, but is a commonly supplemented mineral. Supplementation can help with a wide range of health issues, including regulating blood pressure, blood sugar, and improving bone health. However, it also appears to be a valuable exercise supplement, especially in terms of recovery. Whether you’re looking to use magnesium for sore muscles, or magnesium for muscle growth, our review will help you make an informed choice.
Let’s get into our list, and take a look at some of the best magnesium supplements available today.
In a hurry?
In a hurry?
In a hurry and can’t keep reading? How about you check out the Nature Made Magnesium Citrate.
Nature Made's magnesium citrate provides a moderate daily magnesium dose in a highly absorbable form, allowing for convenient supplementation while avoiding excessive intake, and comes at an affordable price point.
Top 9 Best Magnesium Supplements for Muscle Recovery Reviewed
1. Nature Made Magnesium Citrate – Top Pick
- Supplement Form: Capsule
- Suitable for Vegans: No
- Magnesium Form: Magnesium Citrate
- Magnesium per Serving: 250mg
- Servings per Container: 60
- Serving Size: 2 Softgels
- Price per Serving: ~$0.35
- Company Founded: 1971
- Recommended by Athletes: Kelsey Selene, Tiffany Ashley Williams, Victor Arroyo
Starting off our list with the best magnesium for muscle pain available is Nature Made with their magnesium citrate. Nature Made has been making supplements for just over 50 years now, earning a reputation at the top of the vitamin industry.
At a 250mg serving size, Nature Made offers 60% of your daily magnesium in a single serving. Although this is not as much as some of the other supplements on our list, this allows you to conveniently supplement your dietary magnesium intake without the risk of exceeding the Upper Intake Level, which is 350mg. This is also made out of magnesium citrate, which is one of the most highly absorbable forms of magnesium available.
Photo by @naturemadevitamins
At around $0.35 per serving, Nature Made’s product is also definitely on the lower end of prices on our list.
The one major downside to this product is that it is the one product featured that isn’t suitable for vegans. Because the capsule is partially made up of gelatin, vegans will have to go with one of our other featured products. Other than this, Nature Made’s is the best magnesium for working out on our list.
Positives:
Solid dose of magnesium just below the UL
No synthetic dyes and artificial flavors
Made from Magnesium Citrate which is highly absorbable
Could be better:
Not suitable for vegans
Reviews suggest the softgels are large and difficult to swallow
2. NOW Foods Magnesium Citrate – Runner-Up
- Supplement Form: Capsule
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes
- Magnesium Form: Magnesium Citrate
- Magnesium per Serving: 400mg
- Servings per Container: 40
- Serving Size: 3 Veg Capsules
- Price per Serving: ~$0.30
- Company Founded: 1968
- Recommended by Athletes: Dan McDonogh, Bianca Summer Macedo, Danielle Colaprico
Next on our list is another product coming from a longstanding supplement company, NOW Foods has been making high quality products since 1968. Let’s see how their magnesium supplement compares to Nature Made.
First off, you’ll notice NOW’s product has significantly more magnesium per serving than Nature Made at 400mg. While this may seem like a positive, it is actually slightly over the daily Upper Intake Limit which is set at 350mg.
Photo by @nowfoodsofficial
However, because the 400mg serving is split over 3 capsules, it would be easy to take around 133mg or 266mg instead. Especially at a very low cost per serving of ~$0.30, this makes for a great all around product.
Another advantage here is that like many of the other products on our list, this is completely suitable for vegans. The only reason Nature Made beat out NOW for the top spot is that its recommended serving size is more in-line with the daily Upper Intake Limit.
Positives:
Magnesium citrate is one of the best forms of magnesium available
Suitable for vegans
Quality GMP Assured
Could be better:
High serving size is slightly over the UL
Relatively low amount of servings per container
- Supplement Form: Capsule
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes
- Magnesium Form: Magnesium Citrate, and DiMagnesium Malate
- Magnesium per Serving: 135mg
- Servings per Container: 90
- Serving Size: One Capsule
- Price per Serving: $0.20
- Company Founded: 1984
- Recommended by Athletes: Jess Stay Fit, The Well Pursuit, Isaiah Washington
Next on our list is a magnesium product from Thorne. Although Thorne has been around for the better part of 40 years, it doesn’t have the same brand recognition as some of the other products on our list. So, let’s see how it compares to the other supplements we’ve covered so far.
You’ll notice this has easily the lowest magnesium content of any product on our list at only 135mg per serving. However, this may not be a bad thing, especially for people trying a magnesium supplement for the first time. Also, with 90 servings per container and a solid price of only ~$0.20 per serving, it would be easy to take 2 servings to get a higher dose.
Photo by @thornehealth
You may have noticed this isn’t a pure magnesium citrate supplement, as it also contains some dimagnesium malate. This is magnesium combined with malic acid, most likely meant to have a slower release through the body. There are few studies available to confirm whether or not this will make a serious difference in the body’s absorption of magnesium.
Positives:
High amount of servings per package
Low magnesium content may be good for people first trying magnesium
Could be better:
Unclear if Dimagnesium Malate will make any difference
Low magnesium content per serving
- Supplement Form: Capsule
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes
- Magnesium Form: Magnesium Malate, Magnesium Citrate, and Magnesium Glycinate
- Magnesium per Serving: 300mg
- Servings per Container: 60
- Serving Size: 2 Capsules
- Price per Serving: ~$0.29
- Company Founded: 2003
Up next on our list is a product from Innate Response Formulas. Innate Response is a much more recently founded company than our last few entries, so let’s see how its supplement compares.
First off, it has a solid dosage of magnesium that’s right around the Upper Intake Limit at 300mg. This serving is also split between 2 capsules making it easy to take 150mg servings instead. Also, similar to Thorne’s product, the magnesium is split between citrate and malate, yet it also contains some magnesium glycinate as well. These forms of magnesium have very minor differences, yet will likely have very similar effects overall.
Photo by @infinity_wildfire
At ~$0.29 per serving, this falls in a similar range to the products we’ve covered above. All things considered, this is a very similar product to the previous entries on our list, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a high quality magnesium supplement.
Positives:
Solid dose of magnesium at 300mg per serving
High amount of servings per container
Serving of 2 capsules is easy to split into multiple servings
Could be better:
High price point
Multiple forms of magnesium will likely not make much of a difference
- Supplement Form: Capsule
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes
- Magnesium Form: Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate
- Magnesium per Serving: 300mg
- Servings per Container: 30
- Serving Size: 3 Capsules
- Price per Serving: ~$0.57
- Company Founded: 2012
- Recommended by Athletes: Hafthor Bjornsson, Paul Sklar, Sean Harris
Next up on our list is a magnesium supplement from Transparent Labs, one of the most popular supplement companies around. However, does their magnesium compare to some of the other options on our list?
At 300mg, similar to Innate Response’s product, Transparent Labs falls right around the Upper Intake Limit. With a 3 capsule serving size, you could easily split your dose up into 100mg servings as well. It’s also worth noting that this is the first magnesium bisglycinate chelate product on our list. Again, similar to malate and glycinate, it’s unclear how this formulation differs much from citrate in terms of effects.
At ~$0.57, you’ll also be paying a relatively hefty price tag for this product. Although Transparent Labs puts out very high quality products, the high price tag of this product is tough to justify. Also, at only 30 servings per container, this is the smallest package size of any product we’ve covered so far.
Positives:
Solid dose of 300mg per serving
3 capsule serving size is easy to split up
Сontains no artificial ingredients
Could be better:
High price point
Small serving size
- Supplement Form: Capsule
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes
- Magnesium Form: Magnesium Citrate
- Magnesium per Serving: 100mg
- Servings per Container: 100
- Serving Size: 1 Capsule
- Price per Serving: ~$0.10
- Company Founded: 1980
- Recommended by Athletes: Jonas Kuehne, Kylie Ivanir, Gwen Gottlieb
Next on our list of magnesium supplements is from Life Extension, which has been dedicated to making high quality supplements since the early 80’s. Let’s see how their magnesium compares to the rest of our list.
As you can see, this has the lowest magnesium content of any supplement on our list at only 100mg per serving. However, at only ~$0.10 per serving, this is also far and away the cheapest supplement on our list. So, if you want to take a higher dose, you could easily take 2-3 servings of Life Extension’s product without breaking the bank.
Overall, this would be a great budget pick for someone looking to try out magnesium for the first time because of the low serving size paired with the very low price.
Positives:
Cheapest option on our list by far
Great for beginners looking to try magnesium
Lots of servings per container
Could be better:
Low magnesium content may not be suitable for those experienced with the supplement
Will get used up quickly with daily use of multiple capsules
- Supplement Form: Capsule
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes
- Magnesium Form: Aquamin Magnesium
- Magnesium per Serving: 400mg
- Servings per Container: 30
- Serving Size: 3 Capsules
- Price per Serving: ~$0.92
- Company Founded: 2009
- Recommended by Athletes: Gracie B Fit, Erin Brooks, Madeline Cait
Next on our list is magnesium from Plant Fusion, which is one of the most popular vegan supplement companies around. Although most of the magnesium products on our list are vegan friendly, is this one a cut above the rest?
At 400mg per serving, this product is tied with NOW for having the highest magnesium content on our list. As previously mentioned, this does exceed the maximum recommended daily dose of magnesium, which is around 350mg. However, with 3 capsules per serving, it would be easy to take a smaller dose.
At ~$0.92 per serving, this is easily the most expensive product on our list so far, being many times more costly than many of the other options on our list. It appears Plant Fusion has marked up their product because their magnesium is “Aquamin”, sourced from “pristine Irish seawater”. While Plant Fusion claims this type of magnesium is more bioavailable than their competitors, there aren’t any studies available to back this claim up.
Positives:
Suitable for vegans
High dose of magnesium in each serving
Easily split up into smaller servings
Does appear to be sourced from high quality magnesium
Could be better:
Claims that Aquamin magnesium is superior appear unsubstantiated
Easily the most expensive product on our list
- Supplement Form: Capsule
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes
- Magnesium Form: Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate, and Magnesium Oxide (Albion)
- Magnesium per Serving: 200mg
- Servings per Container: 30
- Serving Size: 1 Capsule
- Price per Serving: ~0.73
- Company Founded: 2019
- Recommended by Athletes: Dylan J Young, Ali Figz
Next on our list we have another vegan-friendly magnesium supplement from Future Kind. Let’s see how this supplement compares to the previous entries on our list.
At 200mg per serving, Future Kind’s product falls around the middle range of servings on our list. With each serving being 1 vegetable capsule, it would be difficult to take more without going over the recommended daily intake of 350mg. This places Future Kind’s serving size in an awkward middle range, where 1 serving may not be enough, but 2 may be too much.
In terms of price, Future Kind is definitely at the higher end of our list as well. While it’s not as expensive as Plant Fusion, every other product on our list is significantly cheaper than this. While this is clearly a high quality magnesium supplement, it’s difficult to justify a price 2 or 3 times as high as some of its competitors.
Positives:
Suitable for vegans
Solid amount of magnesium in each serving
Comes from a carbon neutral company
Could be better:
200mg serving size in one capsule makes it difficult to hit specific doses
Very high price point
- Supplement Form: Capsule
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes
- Magnesium Form: Sucrosomial Magnesium
- Magnesium per Serving: 150mg
- Servings per Container: 120
- Serving Size: 1 Capsule
- Price per Serving: ~$0.25
- Company Founded: 2014
- Recommended by Athletes: Gage Clark, Grant Tinsley, Machaela Brabham
Finally, we’re closing off our list with Legion’s Sucrosomial magnesium supplement. Beyond being a big fancy word, does the “sucrosomial” magnesium really make a difference?
Sucrosomial minerals such as magnesium are combined with sucrose esters in an effort to have better overall absorption. While this may be promising, there are few studies available to back up these claims.
Photo by @legion
At 150mg per serving in a single capsule, Legion offers a decent, albeit fairly low amount of magnesium in each serving. However, it can easily be doubled for a 300mg serving. Also, at only ~$0.25 per serving, it falls towards the lower end of our list’s price range.
Ultimately, this is a solid magnesium product, although claims regarding the benefits of a specific sucrosomial formula need more research to be fully backed up.
Positives:
Serving can easily be doubled for higher intake
High quality magnesium
Could be better:
Fairly low dose of magnesium in each serving
Sucrosomial formula likely won’t make a major difference
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Does Magnesium Help With Muscle Recovery?
While magnesium does have a wide range of applications in the body from improving bone health, to preventing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, does it play a role in exercise performance and muscle recovery?
With the vast majority of people in modern societies are at risk for magnesium deficiencies, and exercise performance decreasing with low magnesium levels, it’s clear that supplementation can greatly benefit athletes. It appears that magnesium supplementation helps to improve performance across aerobic and anaerobic exercises. It does appear that using magnesium for bodybuilding may be very beneficial, although more studies are needed to fully confirm these findings.
Aside from health and overall performance, magnesium has also been shown to improve recovery and reduce muscle soreness. One study found that a high daily dose of magnesium every day (350mg/day) drastically reduced soreness in active individuals. This implies that using magnesium for muscle tension relief could be beneficial, and that the mineral plays a major role in the body’s recovery process, especially in higher doses.
Which Type of Magnesium Is Best?
There are several types of magnesium including:
- magnesium oxide
- hydroxide
- citrate
- bisglycinate
It may be difficult to decide which one is right for you, but it can usually be determined by the amount of magnesium found in the supplement and how well it is absorbed.
For example, while magnesium citrate has a slightly higher absorption rate than magnesium oxide, magnesium oxide typically has a far higher overall magnesium content. This leads to magnesium oxide giving more magnesium on average than magnesium citrate.
Ultimately, regardless of absorption and total magnesium content, the overall benefits will likely be the same if you’re consuming enough total magnesium through the day – regardless of the source.
Also, it’s worth noting that you should be trying to get enough magnesium through your diet, through foods like nuts, beans, and milk.
How to Find the Best Magnesium for Muscle Recovery?
There are 2 main factors you’ll want to consider when looking for a magnesium supplement. They are value for money, and total magnesium content, which we’ll be covering in more detail below.
1. Value for Money
One of the main factors you’ll want to consider before buying a magnesium supplement is how much you’re spending on each individual serving. As you can see from our list, there’s a wide range of price points for magnesium supplements – from around $0.10 per serving, all the way to just under $1. Be sure to consider how much magnesium is in each serving, how it’s sourced, and the cost per serving before making a purchase so you can ensure you’re getting the best value for your money possible.
2. Magnesium Content
Another key factor that should go into your decision is how much magnesium you’ll be getting in each serving. What serving size is ideal will vary from person to person, so consider how much magnesium you’re personally looking to get. On average, most people will likely want somewhere between 200-300mg per serving to get all the benefits of a magnesium muscle relaxer without going over the upper daily limit.
What Factors Play a Key Role for the Best Muscle Recovery?
While you may be looking to use magnesium for muscle relaxation and recovery, there are several lifestyle factors that go into getting the best recovery possible. Here are the 2 most important factors that go into recovery covered in detail.
1. Nutrition
First is nutrition. By fueling your body with the right things, you can drastically improve your recovery. This not only includes eating a balance of clean protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates – ideally from whole foods – but prioritizing your dietary micronutrient intake as well.
With magnesium and other important vitamins and minerals being found in whole foods, we recommend prioritizing a balanced diet first before beginning to rely on supplementation. Of course, supplementation can be an easy, and convenient way to ensure you’re not missing out on any valuable micronutrients like magnesium.
2. Sleep
Another vital factor that goes into recovery is getting enough sleep. If you’re looking to genuinely make progress in the gym, and get optimal recovery, then getting enough sleep should be your top priority. For adults, it’s generally recommended that you get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to be at your best both mentally and physically.
If you’re already considering taking magnesium for muscle recovery, one of the main benefits it may have will be improving your sleep quality. While further research still needs to be done on this, it appears like magnesium generally improves sleep quality by calming restlessness and nerve overactivity.
3. Are Magnesium Supplements Safe?
While the Upper Daily Limit of magnesium is around 350mg, as long as you’re not consistently going over this number through supplementation, magnesium supplements should be completely safe. Although magnesium toxicity is rare, it is possible if you continually exceed the upper daily limit through supplementation. Symptoms include nausea, weakness, depression, and low blood pressure.
FAQ
How Much Magnesium to Repair Muscle?
We recommend getting anywhere from 200-300mg of magnesium a day to optimize all the positive aspects, without going over the upper daily limit of 350mg. Intake in this range, along with a diet rich in magnesium should improve your general health, exercise performance, and recovery.
What Is the Best Form of Magnesium for Absorption?
The most readily absorbed form of magnesium appears to be magnesium citrate. However, despite having lower absorption levels, magnesium oxide typically has a significantly higher magnesium content, leading to more overall absorption. Ultimately, what’s considered the best type of magnesium for muscle recovery comes down largely to a matter of personal preference.
Conclusion
Overall, Magnesium is one of the most beneficial supplements you can take to improve your health, athletic performance, and muscular recovery. While we recommend getting enoughmagnesium through your diet, supplementation is a convenient way to ensure you’re meeting your daily requirements. If you’re interested in a magnesium muscle relaxant, we recommend Nature Made Magnesium Citrate, but all of the products on our list are great alternatives!
Let us know if you decide to try any of the products on our list. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Also read:
References:
- Magnesium //Harvard: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu /nutritionsource/magnesium/
- An update on magnesium and bone health //NIH: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC8313472/
- Magnesium and type 2 diabetes //NIH: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC4549665/
- Magnesium for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease //BMJ: https://openheart.bmj.com /content/5/2/e000775
- Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis //BMJ: https://openheart.bmj.com/ content/5/1/e000668.long
- Can Magnesium Enhance Exercise Performance? //NIH: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC5622706/
- Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Muscle Soreness and Performance //LWW: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2022/08000 /Effects_of_Magnesium _Supplementation_on_ Muscle.19.aspx
- Magnesium: A Mineral With Multiple Applications //SupplementScience: https://www.huhs.edu/sites/ default/files/files/ Magnesium%20article.pdf
- WORKOUT RECOVERY: SLEEP, EAT, MOVE, PLAN //JHU: https://wellbeing.jhu.edu/ blog/2020/08/11/workout-recovery-sleep-nutrition-movement-planning/
- The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial //NIH: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov /pmc/articles/PMC3703169/
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