Is elemental magnesium the same as magnesium glycinate?
Answer
No. Magnesium glycinate is the compound. Elemental magnesium is the amount of magnesium inside it, which is roughly 20 percent of the compound weight.
Key takeaways
- What is the difference?
- Glycinate is magnesium bound to glycine. Elemental magnesium is the magnesium alone, about 20 percent of the compound weight.
- Which figure should I use?
- The elemental one. It is what percentage NRV is measured against and the only number that compares across products.
- What does 1500mg give?
- About 300mg of elemental magnesium, which is 80 percent of the 375mg reference value.
Two different numbers on the same panel
Magnesium is always bound to something. Magnesium bisglycinate is magnesium bound to two molecules of glycine, and the label figure of 1500mg is the weight of the whole bound compound.
Elemental magnesium is the magnesium inside it. Bisglycinate is roughly 20 percent magnesium by weight, so 1500mg of compound gives about 300mg elemental. Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate prints both figures, which is what allows the comparison.
Why the distinction decides purchases
A product advertising 1500mg on the front is not offering five times as much magnesium as one advertising 300mg. It may be offering exactly the same amount described differently.
The check is the elemental line and the percentage NRV beside it. Divide the elemental figure by 375 and compare to the stated percentage. If they disagree, the label is internally inconsistent and worth walking away from.
The conversion for other forms
Oxide is about 60 percent magnesium by weight and poorly absorbed. Citrate is about 16 percent, malate about 15, taurate about 9 and threonate about 8.
So a taurate product needs more than three times the compound weight of a bisglycinate one to deliver the same magnesium, which is why the specialist forms cost more per unit of magnesium as well as per gram.
The full version
- How to work out the elemental magnesium in any supplementThe conversion for every common form, with worked examples.
- What to look for in a magnesium supplementThe five step check with two labels compared.
The product
Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate
Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate is the 300mg elemental one at 22p a day, a two capsule serving covering 80 percent of the 375mg reference value, UK made and independently lab tested for purity.
- 300mg elemental magnesium, 80% NRV
- Bisglycinate, best tolerated common form
- UK made to GMP, lab tested for purity
- Not batch certified for sport
Sharper Rugby is published by Futuro Labs. If you buy through this link Futuro Labs earns from the sale. Prices are set by Amazon.
Questions players ask
Are they the same thing?
No. Glycinate is the compound and elemental magnesium is the magnesium within it.
How much of bisglycinate is magnesium?
About 20 percent by weight.
Which number matters?
The elemental one, which percentage NRV is measured against.