Magnesium before a rugby match
Answer
No. Magnesium does not act on the timescale of a pre match dose, and no authorised claim attaches to taking it before kick off rather than at any other time.
Key takeaways
- Does a pre match dose help?
- No. Circulating magnesium is tightly regulated and a serving before kick off does not top up a muscle.
- Could it cause a problem?
- A large supplemental dose has a laxative effect, which is a poor thing to introduce on match day.
- What should be done instead?
- Fluid across the day, a normal meal three hours out, and the usual daily serving whenever it is normally taken.
The short answer
There is no pre match magnesium effect. The mineral sits mostly in bone and inside cells, circulating levels are tightly controlled, and a capsule taken at midday does not change what a muscle has available at three o'clock.
No authorised claim describes a timing effect. Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate is a daily serving at 22p a day, and it works by being taken every day rather than by being taken at a particular moment.
One thing worth avoiding
There is also nothing to gain from front loading in the days before a fixture. Magnesium status reflects weeks of intake rather than the previous 48 hours, so a player who has taken a serving daily through the season is already where they are going to be.
Taking an unusually large dose before a match is a bad idea specifically. UK guidance sets 400mg a day from supplements because high supplemental doses have a laxative effect, and match day is the worst possible time to discover that.
Fluid across the day, a normal meal about three hours out and the usual serving at the usual time is the whole answer.
The full version
- Magnesium after a rugby matchThe same timing question from the other side, and what the post match hour is actually for.
- Best magnesium for match dayWhy nothing in this category acts on a match day timescale.
The product
Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate
Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate is the 300mg elemental one at 22p a day, taken at whatever consistent point suits, on match days and every other day alike.
- 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
Should I take magnesium before kick off?
No claim attaches to timing. Take it at whatever point it reliably gets taken.
Would a bigger pre match dose help?
No, and high supplemental doses have a laxative effect, which is a poor match day risk.
What actually helps before a match?
Fluid across the day and a normal meal about three hours out.