About the Product
Marvelous Nutrition's Magnesium Bisglycinate is a magnesium bisglycinate supplement in HPMC vegetable capsules, with a minimalist composition of only three ingredients: magnesium bisglycinate as the sole active ingredient, microcrystalline cellulose as an anti-caking agent, and an HPMC capsule. Magnesium bisglycinate is the form of magnesium with the highest oral bioavailability available on the market — a chelate of the Mg²⁺ ion with two glycine amino acids that protects magnesium from the formation of insoluble salts in the intestine and facilitates its absorption via peptide transporters (PEPT1). No added flavour, no sweeteners, no colourings. 3 capsules/day with breakfast. Vegan.
Benefits
Magnesium: the most deficient mineral in athletes and a cofactor for over 300 enzymes in the human body:
Magnesium (Mg²⁺) is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body and the second most abundant intracellular cation (after potassium), with documented cofactor functions in over 300 enzymatic reactions — including mitochondrial ATP synthase (ATP synthesis), protein phosphorylation kinases, RNA polymerase (RNA synthesis), DNA polymerase (DNA synthesis), and virtually all enzymes of energy metabolism. The prevalence of magnesium deficiency is high in the general European population (it is estimated that 10 to 30% of the population has an intake below the reference dose) and even higher in athletes — intense exercise significantly increases magnesium losses through urine and sweat, and magnesium is used in greater quantities during ATP synthesis and muscle contraction.
Magnesium bisglycinate: the form with the highest bioavailability and least gastrointestinal irritation:
Of the multiple forms of magnesium available on the supplement market, magnesium bisglycinate (magnesium chelate with two glycine amino acids, also called magnesium glycinate or diglycinate) is consistently the form with the highest documented oral bioavailability and the lowest risk of laxative effects. The mechanism is as follows: free ionic magnesium (Mg²⁺) in the intestine competes with other minerals (calcium, zinc, iron) for intestinal divalent metal transporters (DMT1), and in excess causes osmotic irritation of the intestinal mucosa (a laxative effect characteristic of magnesium oxide and magnesium sulfate). In bisglycinate, Mg²⁺ is chelated (covalently bound) to two glycine amino acids, forming a neutral and small complex that is preferentially absorbed by the PEPT1 and PEPT2 peptide transporters of the intestinal epithelium — the same transporters used to absorb di- and tripeptides from protein digestion — efficiently and without competition from other minerals. The study by Schuette et al. documented that magnesium bisglycinate has superior intestinal absorption to magnesium oxide (the cheapest and most common form in magnesium supplements on the market, but also the one with the lowest bioavailability, with only 4% absorption). For athletes with documented magnesium deficiency, choosing bisglycinate ensures that the ingested magnesium dose is effectively absorbed and utilized by the tissues.
Muscle function and cramp reduction:
Magnesium plays a central role in neuromuscular function: it is the natural antagonist of calcium in voltage-gated calcium channels of myocyte membranes and in Ca²⁺ pumps of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. During muscle contraction, Ca²⁺ is released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum into the myocyte cytoplasm, binding to troponin C and activating the actin-myosin complex. Muscle relaxation requires the reuptake of Ca²⁺ by the sarcoplasmic reticulum via SERCA (sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase), a process dependent on ATP and magnesium as an ATPase cofactor. In situations of magnesium deficiency, muscle relaxation is compromised, resulting in sustained involuntary muscle contraction — the characteristic muscle cramps of hypomagnesemia. Supplementation with magnesium bisglycinate in athletes with frequent cramps is one of the most effective and fastest-acting interventions for alleviating this symptom.
Sleep and relaxation: magnesium as a GABAergic and NMDA modulator:
Magnesium has documented effects on sleep quality via two distinct neurological mechanisms. It is a co-agonist of GABA-A receptors — it potentiates the inhibitory action of GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system, facilitating relaxation and the transition to sleep. It is also an endogenous antagonist of NMDA receptors (excitatory glutamate receptors) — magnesium blocks the ion channel of NMDA receptors at rest, reducing excessive neuronal excitability associated with stress and anxiety. The clinical trial by Abbasi et al. (2012), published in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences with 46 elderly insomniacs, documented that 500mg/day of magnesium for 8 weeks significantly improved multiple sleep parameters (sleep onset latency, total duration, sleep efficiency) and reduced morning cortisol levels. For athletes using Escape (Marvelous Nutrition's sleep supplement), Magnesium Bisglycinate can be taken together at night to reinforce the magnesium component of the sleep protocol.
Energy metabolism: magnesium as a cofactor for ATP synthase and kinases:
Magnesium is essential for ATP synthesis — literally, biologically active ATP is the Mg-ATP complex (the Mg²⁺ ion is always chelated to ATP for its use by ATPases). Magnesium deficiency directly compromises mitochondrial ATP synthesis and cellular energy efficiency, resulting in early fatigue during exercise. Kinases (protein kinase A, creatine kinase, hexokinase, pyruvate kinase) are all Mg²⁺-dependent — magnesium stabilizes the phosphorylated substrate and ATP during phosphate group transfer. Magnesium replenishment in deficient athletes improves energy efficiency and reduces muscle fatigue independently of its effects on muscle contraction/relaxation.
Cardiovascular health and blood pressure regulation:
Magnesium has documented effects on blood pressure regulation via multiple mechanisms: it is a direct vasodilator (Ca²⁺ antagonism in vascular smooth muscle), stimulates prostacyclin and nitric oxide production (endothelial vasodilators), and reduces vascular peripheral resistance. The meta-analysis by Zhang et al. (2016), published in Hypertension with data from 34 clinical trials and over 2000 participants, documented that magnesium supplementation (median 368mg/day) reduced systolic blood pressure by 2mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.78mmHg vs. placebo.
Usage
Recommended dose: Take 3 capsules with breakfast. For sleep support, you can take 2 of the 3 capsules at night (1 with breakfast + 2 with dinner or before bed). Magnesium is best absorbed with food (the presence of proteins and carbohydrates stimulates insulin secretion which improves cellular uptake of magnesium) and should be taken separately from iron and zinc supplements (competition for intestinal transporters).
