PROBLEMS CAN ARISE

When ambitious athletes decide to take magnesium supplements, they often do it with off-the-shelf products and without medical supervision. That usually results in taking way too much. As with other drugs, many athletes gradually rationalize the use, feeling if one tablet works, maybe two will produce twice the effects.

Unfortunately, like alcohol on New Year’s Eve, too much of a good thing can produce unwanted results and sometimes serious medical side effects. You should always get a doctor or trainer to approve your ingestion of health supplements.

There are no statistics on those whose magnesium levels exceed the limits. Most people who do not take supplements are within tolerable limits, and it’s hard to exceed those limits through mere food, as magnesium excess is excreted through urine.

The National Institutes of Health recommend men and women limit their daily intake to 350 milligrams, although some recommended daily allowances for men allow up to 420 milligrams. There is no established tolerance level below that for younger children. The limits should prevent most unpleasant and potentially dangerous side effects from a magnesium overdose.

If you ingested magnesium supplements and feel like you may have overdosed, see a doctor immediately. The usual symptoms start with diarrhea and nausea but can progress to cardiac arrest and kidney failure if left untreated.