Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and performs several functions such as maintaining normal nerve and muscle function, heart rhythm (heart excitability), vasomotor tone, blood pressure, immune system, bone integrity and blood glucose levels and promotes calcium absorption. Because of its functions in skeletal muscle and glucose metabolism, magnesium began to be studied in sports practice.
What is Volleyball?
Volleyball is a team sport characterized by short periods and high-intensity activities, with movements that include running accelerations and decelerations, jumps, ball strokes, and multidirectional locomotion. The ability of jumping is considered one of the most important facets in the physical performance of volleyball players, since it is necessary in movements such as cutting and blocking.
Magnesium and Volleyball Athletes in Lituratura
In a clinical trial titled “Magnesium status and the physical performance of volleyball players: effects of magnesium supplementation,” it aimed to evaluate whether magnesium supplementation could optimize the muscle power and strength of these athletes.
The article had the participation of 25 individuals, they were divided into 2 groups (magnesium and control). The control group consumed maltodextrin capsules (2 capsules of 250 mg) and the magnesium group consumed 2 capsules of 292 mg.
With this, the study showed that magnesium supplementation over a period of 4 weeks improved alactic anaerobic metabolism in volleyball players by increasing their jumps (by up to 3 cm) in the pylometric test after the supplementation period.
Clinical practice
The improvement in alactic anaerobic metabolism is correlated with the role of magnesium as a cofactor for creatine kinase, which is a key enzyme for the phosphagen or alactic anaerobic system. However, the aerobic and anaaerobic lactic metabolisms of the athletes were apparently not affected by magnesium supplementation. Therefore, this mechanism of action of magnesium can be very promising for sports nutrition, making it necessary to do more research in the area.
Bibliographic references
Article: SETARO, Luciana; SANTOS-SILVA, Paulo Roberto; NAKANO, Eduardo Yoshio; SALES, Cristiane Hermes; NUNES, Newton; STRIKE, Julia Maria; COLLI, Celia. Magnesium status and the physical performance of volleyball players: effects of magnesium supplementation. Journal Of Sports Sciences, , v. 32, [S .L.]n. 5, p. 438-445, 9 set. 2013. Http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2013.828847.
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