Magnesium Deficiency & Muscles And Nerves

The mineral magnesium is required in more than 300 cellular processes in the body. It helps muscles and nerves function properly, supports the immune system, mineralizes bone and regulates blood sugar, blood pressure, the rhythm of the heart and energy production. Magnesium deficiency, although rare, can affect the function of muscle and nerve tissue, according to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements.

Magnesium Deficiency

Magnesium deficiency is a rare condition that occurs in individuals with intestinal disorders, kidney disease and in those with chronic diarrhea, vomiting or diuretic use. Symptoms include muscle cramping, restless leg syndrome, anxiety, irregular heart rate, low blood pressure, muscle weakness and spasms, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Magnesium and Muscle Contraction

Muscle fibers represent a long linkage of muscle cells, each with the capacity to contract forcefully. Muscle contraction depends on the presence of calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium and energy. A muscle contracts once it is stimulated by a nerve impulse. This triggers an influx of sodium into the muscle tissue and the expulsion of potassium. Calcium then enters the muscle tissue to sustain the contraction. Muscle contraction requires energy. Energy is stored in a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. To release energy from a molecule of ATP, magnesium is required, according to Drs. Gerard Tortora and Bryan Derrickson.

Magnesium and Muscle Relaxation

Muscular relaxation takes place after muscle contraction. Muscle tissue relaxes when calcium is expelled from the muscle cells. For this to occur, energy is required. Magnesium releases energy from molecules of ATP for the process of relaxation. A magnesium deficiency causes muscle cramps and spasms because the mineral is not present to provide energy for the relaxation process, according to Tortora and Derrickson.

Magnesium and Nerve Impulses

Nerve impulses, also called action potentials, begin when the membrane of a nerve is adequately stimulated to trigger the influx of sodium into the nerve tissue by way of special sodium channels. The nerve signal then ends when sodium channels close and potassium channels open. For this process to occur, energy is required. To supply the nerve with energy, magnesium must be present to release the energy from molecules of ATP, according to the University of Washington.

Treatment

To treat magnesium deficiency, consume foods rich in magnesium, for example, fish, almonds, cashews, spinach and soybeans. Magnesium is also available in supplement form. The average adult requires 300 to 400mg of magnesium per day, according to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements.