Is there a low magnesium epidemic?

I know lots of my readers take part in sporting competitions and they always want to perform at their peak and win.  So is it best to abstain the night before a competition?  Certainly here is a myth that abstinence before sporting activities improves performance? But does it? Researchers at the University of Florence reviewed hundreds of studies to determine if there was any truth in the myth that abstinence helps performance.  They found no evidence to support the myth that abstinence before a sporting competition improves performance.  In addition they found no evidence that having sex the night before impairs performance the next day.  They came across one study that found marathon runners did better the next day after having sex the night before. All sporting competitions are as much about the mind as the physical activity.  So the impact of sex the night before on marathon runners may be psychological.  Maybe that is why the organisers of the Rio Olympics distributed more than 450,000 condoms in the athletes' village during the 2016 Olympics. Reference Stefani Laura, Galanti Giorgio, Padulo Johnny, Bragazzi Nicola L., Maffulli Nicola, 2016, Sexual Activity before Sports Competition: A Systematic Review,  Frontiers in Physiology, Vol 7, pg 246 http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2016.00246

I am off to Japan soon which inspired this blog article.  So I wanted to share with you some ideas about a holiday first aid kit. The first thing I pack is rescue remedy which relieves stress and anxiety - I basically pack this in case flights get cancelled, luggage gets lost etc. The next thing I pack is Traumeel, in case I get a soft tissue injury i.e. sprain or strain. Traumeel is a homeopathic combination preparation that reduces inflammation, swelling, and oozing. The pharmacology involved is not yet understood. Studies suggest the drug modifies the action of neutrophils and the release of inflammatory mediators. Injected locally, its analgesic effect is comparable to steroids but without the risks of tendon rupture or skin depigmentation.   I personally take tablets or use a cream because I am whimp who doesn't like the idea of injecting herself.  Plus I don't think its very practical to try and take an injection kit through an airport! Traumeel has been available for eighty years and is suitable for frequent use, with the only contraindication being adverse allergic reaction. Among elite athletes its use is common and anecdotally it attracts very favorable reports. There is data to suggest comparable efficacy of both topical and injected Traumeel when compared with  Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy, with fewer side effects and greater patient satisfaction. References https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3085232/ Schneider, C, Klein, P et al (2005) ‘A homeopathic ointment preparation compared with 1% diclofenac gel for acute symptomatic treatment of tendinopathy’. Explore(NY); Nov;1(6):446-52. Birnesser, H et al (2004) ‘The homeopathic preparation Traumeel S compared with NSAIDS for symptomatic treatment of epicondylitis’. Journal of Musculoskeletal Research, Vol. 8, Nos. 2 & 3 119 -128.

Around half of all women will get cystitis or some other unirary tract infection (UTI) at somepoint in their life.  The female anatomy makes women more susceptible.  Having had cystitis many years ago I can vouch for the pain.  As some women are prone to suffer multiple episodes, I wanted to share some natural options to help them stop coming back. Cranberry Juice 300-500ml of unsweetened cranberry juice or 400mg of concentrated cranberry extract twice a day appears to be sucessful is preventing or reducing the number of urinary tract infections (UTI).  However, there is limited evidence that cranberry can stop a UTI once you have it. Acupuncture Acupuncture was put to the test against sham acupuncture (the needles go into the wrong place or inserted in the wrong way) or no treatment for UTI prevention.  After six months 85% of those who had genuine acupuncture sufferend no UTIs compared with 58% of those of the sham group and 36% of the untreated group.  In another study UTI-prone women receiving acupuncture twice a week had half the rate of infections compared to those receiving no treatment.   References https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27251185 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9612877 https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/12721123