Magnesium bisglycinate

Magnesium is an indispensable mineral for our body, involved in more than 300 biochemical reactions. It is crucial for energy metabolism, heart and muscle cell function, and bone health. In nature, magnesium occurs almost exclusively in combinations with various other elements. The range of magnesium supplements is similarly broad. But what makes magnesium bisglycinate, for example, special in comparison to magnesium citrate ? And why do you prefer magnesium oxide  in the treatment of constipation, while magnesium sulfate is used in the treatment of high blood pressure during pregnancy? In this series of articles we will examine the different magnesium compounds and their specific benefits. You can find basic information about magnesium in our introductory article “What is magnesium?”. In this article we focus on the properties and applications of magnesium glycinate or Magnesium bisglycinate.

What is magnesium glycinate?

Magnesium glycinate is a compound that consists of magnesium and the amino acid glycine . It is known for its high bioavailability and is often used as Dietary supplement to treat or prevent magnesium deficiency. This supplement offers a gentle form of magnesium that is particularly well absorbed by the body and is gentle on the stomach. It belongs to the group of organic magnesium compounds, which also includes magnesium citrate and magnesium lactate.

Magnesium glycinate does not occur naturally in foods . It is formed when magnesium ions are chelated with glycine, a non-essential amino acid. This binding increases the absorption of magnesium in the body by a few percentage points. While magnesium oxide has a bioavailability of approx. 4%, with magnesium glycinate it is approx. ten to twenty times. This is due, among other things, to the presence of glycine. This facilitates the transport of magnesium through the intestinal wall into the blood, which leads to better availability of magnesium for the body.

Forms of magnesium glycinate

Magnesium Glycinate is available in various forms including capsules and powder. The choice of form depends on personal preferences and the desired dosage. Capsules offer convenience and dosing accuracy, while powders allow for flexible dosing. In addition to the different packaging, there are different names that refer to the same molecule.

Magnesium glycinate vs. Magnesium bisglycinate

Magnesium glycinate and magnesium bisglycinate basically refer to the same supplement. “Bisglycinate” refers to two glycine molecules bound to a magnesium molecule, which often leads to confusion in nomenclature. Technically speaking, it is the same compound, which is known for its excellent bioavailability and tolerability.

In addition to the distinction between bisglycinate and glycinate, there are other spellings for the same molecule. Magnesium glycinates and magnesium bisglycinates come from the English spelling for the molecule glycine.

Calcium alphaketoglutarate, creatine and magnesium work synergistically to increase your performance and energy levels. Find out more on the product page now.

The blood-brain barrier

Magnesium bisglycinate is thought to improve brain mobility due to its binding to glycine, which acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter . This combination can cross the blood-brain barrier more effectively, making magnesium bisglycinate potentially useful for cognitive function and mental health. The situation is similar with Magnesium Threonate. Both the neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and the longevity doctor Peter Attia have over reports and discusses these forms of magnesium in their podcasts.

Magnesium bisglycinate and sleep

Magnesium bisglycinate can promote sleep in several ways, acting on both a physiological and neurochemical level. The unique properties of this magnesium compound – the combination of magnesium with the amino acid glycine – help promote relaxation and improve sleep quality.  So that you can better understand the molecular background, we have looked at the various mechanisms:

Regulation of neurotransmitters

Magnesium plays a crucial role in regulating neurotransmitters that affect sleep. It helps control the balance between excitatory and inhibitory signals in the brain by reducing the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and norepinephrine and the production of calming neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). promotes. GABA helps calm the nervous system and is essential for deep, restful sleep.

Did you know?

In addition to magnesium, there is another molecule that promotes the effects of GABA. Ashwagandha, also known as “sleepberry”, originally comes from India. This plant is said to have several healing effects, but its effects on sleep and the GABAergic system have been well studied in larger studies. In this meta study ashwagandha was able to improve the test subjects' sleep quality.

Stabilization of the sleep cycle

Magnesium is involved in the regulation of the body's sleep-wake cycles, in part through its role in the production of melatonin , the hormone that controls the natural sleep cycle. By supporting healthy melatonin levels, magnesium bisglycinate can help regulate sleep and contribute to a natural sleep process.

Did you know?

Cherries can also regulate melatonin levels. Since cherries contain a lot of endogenous melatonin, researchers in this study  gave the participants a concentrate of sour cherries and were able to prove that taking both Melatonin levels increased and sleep quality improved. The sour cherry used is called Montmorency and you can find it together with Ashwagandha and Magnesium Bisglycinate in Qnight.

Muscle relaxation

Due to its ability to regulate the calcium ion concentration in muscle cells, magnesium promotes muscle relaxation. This effect can help reduce physical tension, which is often a barrier to entering sleep.

Synergistic effect of glycine

Glycine itself is known for its calming effects on the brain and can lower body temperature, which is an important signal for the body to induce sleep. In this study the participants were given glycine daily before going to sleep. The researchers were able to prove that taking glycine shortened both the time it took to fall asleep and the latency time for the so-called “slow-wave sleep”. This sleep phase can also be colloquially referred to as deep sleep and is important for our body's recovery. The combination of magnesium and glycine in magnesium bisglycinate therefore enhances the sleep-promoting properties of both components.

Improvement of sleep quality

Studies suggest that magnesium supplementation can improve sleep quality, particularly in people with low magnesium status or sleep disorders. Improving sleep quality includes longer sleep duration, falling asleep more quickly and fewer nighttime awakenings.

Magnesium bisglycinate and cramps

Similar to other forms of magnesium, magnesium glycinate can be helpful for muscle cramps. Muscle cramps, characterized by an uncontrolled and sudden contraction of a muscle, often result in intense pain and often affect the calf muscles.

Magnesium plays an important role in the prevention of muscle cramps. It acts as an antagonist to calcium, which plays a key role in triggering muscle contractions by promoting muscle relaxation. A disproportionate balance between magnesium and calcium can lead to unwanted muscle contractions and therefore cramps.

The tendency to muscle cramps can be increased by a lack of magnesium, as an adequate amount of this mineral is essential for the muscles' ability to relax. Magnesium supplementation could be particularly helpful for those who regularly suffer from muscle cramps. Although research on magnesium's benefits for muscle cramps is mixed, some studies suggest that it may be particularly effective during pregnancy. Among other things, this study with magnesium bisglycinate was carried out here. It was shown that administration of Magneisum bisglycinate in pregnant women led to a reduction in cramps.