Does magnesium work against muscle cramps?

Cramping muscles are common, whether they’re associated with exercise or not.

Knowing what causes them can help people avoid them or treat them, but for many people it's not a simple story.

Norman and Tegan talk through some of the theories behind this painful phenomenon, and why magnesium might not be the answer.

References:

• Muscle cramps: A comparison of the two-leading hypothesis
• Influence of Hydration and Electrolyte Supplementation on Incidence and Time to Onset of Exercise-Associated Muscle Cramps
• Magnesium for skeletal muscle cramps - Cochrane Review
• A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study assessing the efficacy of magnesium oxide monohydrate in the treatment of nocturnal leg cramps
• Pickle Juice Intervention for Cirrhotic Cramps Reduction: The PICCLES Randomized Controlled Trial
• Australian Institute of Sport's sports supplement framework: pickle juice