In the summer I completed the BC Bike Race, a 7-day mountain bike stage race. After one of the stages I was getting a post-race massage when I got a sudden and intense cramp in one of my hamstrings. I don’t often have cramping issues on the bike, but post-race they’re quite common for me. When it happened, the massage therapist recommended that I head over to the medical tent and ask for a spoonful of magnesium. She said it helps the muscles to repair themselves which is obviously a key part of any stage race.
Since the race, I’ve been looking for more information and science to back up what she told me. I often come across people saying they use magnesium supplements to prevent cramping on the bike, but I haven’t found anything that supports the muscle repair theory. If she’s right, then magnesium supplements would be a good idea to take during a stage race even if you’re not suffering from cramping of any kind.
Have you come across any science to back this up?