Magnesium Glycinate vs Five-Source Magnesium: Which Type Should You Choose?
Magnesium has become one of the most searched everyday supplements in the UK, and one form in particular has attracted a great deal of attention: magnesium glycinate.
But magnesium glycinate is only one way of supplementing magnesium.
Different magnesium supplements use different compounds, including magnesium bisglycinate, citrate, malate, taurinate and succinate.
So the better question may not be simply:
“Which magnesium glycinate should I buy?”
It may be:
“Why rely on only one magnesium source when you can have five?”
Hammer Nutrition Essential Mg combines five different magnesium sources in one daily formula, providing 200 mg of magnesium per two-capsule serving.
What Is Magnesium Glycinate?
Magnesium glycinate is magnesium combined with the amino acid glycine.
You may also see the term magnesium bisglycinate used on supplement labels. These names are often used when referring to magnesium chelated with glycine.
Magnesium glycinate and bisglycinate have become particularly popular because chelated magnesium forms are widely used in modern supplements and are generally regarded as well tolerated.
Essential Mg already contains magnesium bisglycinate.
But rather than relying on that single magnesium source, Hammer combines it with four additional forms.
Why Use More Than One Form of Magnesium?
There is no good scientific basis for claiming that simply taking five magnesium forms makes a supplement “five times better” than one containing a single form.
Different magnesium compounds do, however, have different chemical characteristics.
Research comparing magnesium preparations has also found differences in absorption between certain forms, with organic magnesium compounds such as magnesium citrate showing greater bioavailability than magnesium oxide in some human studies.
That is why Hammer takes a broader approach.
Essential Mg provides magnesium from:
1. Magnesium Bisglycinate
2. Magnesium Citrate
3. Magnesium Malate
4. Magnesium Taurinate
5. Magnesium Succinate
Rather than building the formula around only one fashionable magnesium source, Essential Mg provides five sources in one daily supplement.
The Five Magnesium Sources in Essential Mg
1. Magnesium Bisglycinate
Magnesium bisglycinate is magnesium bound to glycine.
It is one of the most popular forms of supplemental magnesium and is frequently chosen by people looking for an alternative to basic inorganic forms of magnesium.
Because magnesium glycinate and magnesium bisglycinate are among the most searched magnesium terms today, it is worth knowing that Essential Mg already includes this form.
2. Magnesium Citrate
Magnesium citrate combines magnesium with citric acid.
It is one of the better-known organic forms of magnesium and has been studied extensively as a supplemental magnesium source.
Research has demonstrated that magnesium citrate can be more bioavailable than magnesium oxide. Legislation.gov.uk
3. Magnesium Malate
Magnesium malate combines magnesium with malic acid.
Malic acid occurs naturally in the body and is involved in normal metabolic processes.
Magnesium malate is another organic form frequently used in multi-source magnesium formulations.
4. Magnesium Taurinate
Magnesium taurinate combines magnesium with taurine.
Taurine is an amino-sulphonic acid naturally present in the body and commonly used in sports and nutritional formulations.
Essential Mg includes taurinate as one of its five magnesium sources rather than relying entirely on a single magnesium compound.
5. Magnesium Succinate
Magnesium succinate combines magnesium with succinic acid.
Succinate is involved naturally in cellular energy metabolism and is another organic magnesium compound used within the Essential Mg formula.
What Does Magnesium Actually Do?
The most important benefits of Essential Mg do not come from marketing claims attached to individual magnesium forms.
They come from magnesium itself.
Magnesium contributes to:
- normal muscle function
- normal energy-yielding metabolism
- the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
- normal functioning of the nervous system
- normal protein synthesis
- maintenance of normal bones
- normal electrolyte balance
These are authorised health claims for magnesium in Great Britain. Legislation.gov.uk
For runners, cyclists, endurance athletes and other active adults, several of these functions are particularly relevant to everyday training and recovery.
To compare the individual forms in more detail, read Magnesium Bisglycinate vs Citrate vs Malate.
Magnesium for Muscle Function
Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function.
That makes magnesium relevant not only during competition but as part of everyday nutrition throughout the training year.
It should not be viewed simply as something to take before a major event.
For athletes who train regularly through autumn and winter, maintaining an adequate magnesium intake remains important regardless of whether the next race is days or months away.
Magnesium and Energy Metabolism
Magnesium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
In simple terms, magnesium plays a role in the processes the body uses to release energy from food.
That makes it particularly relevant to active people who train frequently and place consistent demands on their bodies.
Magnesium and Tiredness
Magnesium also contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
This makes magnesium an obvious component of an everyday nutritional strategy, particularly during periods of sustained training, work and normal daily life.
It is important, however, not to confuse this authorised nutritional role with a claim that magnesium acts like a stimulant.
It doesn't.
Magnesium supports normal physiological function rather than providing an artificial energy hit.
Magnesium and Electrolyte Balance
Magnesium contributes to normal electrolyte balance.
This is especially relevant to endurance athletes, who tend to think primarily about sodium when discussing electrolytes.
Sodium is extremely important during prolonged exercise, but magnesium is also an essential mineral with important roles throughout the body.
That is one reason Hammer treats magnesium supplementation as part of the wider nutritional picture rather than simply something to consume during exercise.
Is Magnesium Glycinate the Best Type of Magnesium?
Not necessarily.
Magnesium glycinate has become extremely popular, but there is no single magnesium form that can universally be declared “the best” for everyone.
Different forms have different properties, and the evidence supporting specific claimed advantages varies considerably.
This is where marketing can sometimes run ahead of the science.
For example, particular magnesium compounds are frequently marketed for sleep, stress, muscle recovery or other highly specific outcomes.
Those claims should be treated carefully unless supported by appropriate evidence.
The more defensible approach is to focus on the established nutritional functions of magnesium itself.
So Why Does Essential Mg Use Five Magnesium Sources?
Because Hammer Nutrition has taken a multi-source approach rather than relying upon a single magnesium compound.
One two-capsule serving provides:
200 mg magnesium
from:
Magnesium Bisglycinate + Magnesium Citrate + Magnesium Malate + Magnesium Taurinate + Magnesium Succinate
The magnesium bisglycinate ingredient is buffered with magnesium oxide as part of that ingredient.
This means people specifically searching for magnesium glycinate or bisglycinate can get that form while also obtaining four additional magnesium sources within the same formula.
Magnesium Glycinate vs Five-Source Magnesium
If you specifically want a supplement containing only magnesium glycinate, then a single-source glycinate product may be appropriate.
But if you would prefer a broader formulation rather than relying on one magnesium source, Essential Mg provides an alternative.
Single-source magnesium glycinate
Usually provides one principal magnesium compound.
Essential Mg Five-Source Magnesium
Provides:
- Bisglycinate
- Citrate
- Malate
- Taurinate
- Succinate
in one daily formula.
That is the difference.
Why Settle for One Magnesium Source?
Magnesium glycinate deserves its popularity.
It is a useful magnesium form and one that Hammer includes in Essential Mg.
But it isn't the only magnesium compound available.
Essential Mg was designed around a simple principle:
Why rely on one magnesium source when you can combine five?
It provides 200 mg of magnesium per two-capsule serving from five carefully selected magnesium sources in one convenient daily formula.
For athletes and active adults looking to make magnesium part of their everyday nutritional routine, it offers a broader alternative to a conventional single-source magnesium supplement.
