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Epsom Salt Absorption, Magnesium Intake, and Muscle Fatigue

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bowlerae
bowlerae Posts: 555 Member
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Someone please point me in the right direction if this has already been asked...

I have been looking into Epsom Salt bath soaks. I've heard they are great for relieving constipation and for soothing sore muscles. If I start soaking in Epsom Salt baths, would I not supplement orally with magnesium that day?

Also, I started working out again and I'm still recovering from Monday. I feel like I can hardly move because it had been quite a while since I worked out, I pushed myself incredibly hard and I was all out of my post-workout which is usually tremendous for DOMS. I know magnesium/Epsom Salt is supposed to sooth muscle fatigue but is it fatigue caused specifically by magnesium deficiency or does it help with ALL sorts of muscle fatigue including DOMS? I'm wondering if these bath soaks will help post-workout.

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  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    Your body is smart. It will only absorb the magnesium from the epsom salts that your body needs. So if you take your mag, and you soak, your body will absorb, then go, "okay, that's enough, close the doors, body!" Foam rolling helps those muscle fatigue...

    And just a side note, you're better off not pushing so hard and creating a level of exercise that doesn't leave you unable to function the next day. Because then it's longer before you get back in the gym... I struggle HARD with all or nothing behavior, so I get this completely.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
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    It's perfectly safe to double up your oral supplement with a soak. Especially if you're looking for constipation relief as the only thing that happens with a magnesium overdose is diarrhea.

    Soaking in a warm epsom salt bath is definitely good for muscle recovery and fatigue caused by working out. It even says so right on the package.
    I don't have a resource to link but I'm sure it's easy to find if you want to verify, but water temperature is important. You want a warm bath, not a hot one. If the water is too hot, it will actually pull magnesium from your body rather than absorb it. When the water is just warm, barely above body temperature, absorption is best achieved. I think the standard recommendation was around 100 degrees fahrenheit.

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