TRAINING DEFENCE

Most athletes have supplemented with ‘Magnesium’ at some point in time - often trying to support sleep, muscle recovery or to fix cramping issues - yet almost all have failed to find any noticeable benefit and thus stopped. The problem is these athletes are using products not designed for them. Pharmaceutical companies have always focused on mass sedentary populations, thus the ‘forms’ of magnesium and the potency within the formulations are not solving the need states of endurance athletes. PILLAR’s Triple Magnesium range was purposefully curated to support sleep and muscle recovery for endurance athletes. Using leading sports science research, a selection of the most bioavailable forms of magnesium were formulated at appropriately high potency. While the pharmaceutical industry focuses on a sedentary demographic, PILLAR unapologetically supports performance outcomes.

Magnesium is the vital micronutrient to support sleep as it is a cofactor in the hormone synthesis of serotonin which the brain transforms into melatonin.

Athletes require more. Full stop. Just like macronutrients; protein, carbohydrates, and fats, are required at greater levels for athletes. This same exists for micronutrients. Magnesium is depleted through sweat, urination, and lipolysis; all incurred at greater levels when undertaking endurance exercise. Therefore, those participating in endurance sports need to be aware that they deplete magnesium at far greater rates than sedentary people

There have been multiple studies that have correlated low vitamin D levels with increased infection and we now understand that vitamin D modulates both our innate and adaptive immune responses. This also ties into our understanding of the role seasons have in our fluctuating immune susceptibility. The cold weather we experience in winter doesn’t inherently cause a surge in influenza, but rather, the shorter days, decreased sunlight exposure leads to one thing – significantly less vitamin D – a biological breeding ground for illness susceptibility.

Taken at the very first sign of illness will give you the best chance to reduce both the length and severity of any cold or related ailment. We also see many professional athletes cycle onto this supplement when training load is extremely high (e.g preseason) as a precautionary measure for compromised immunity through physical exertion. Zinc and Vitamin C are both water soluble so can be taken on an empty stomach, it’s also best to avoid taking this around any meals or drinks containing dairy.