GLOSSARY

Hypomagnesemia is a blood concentration below the relevant reference, not automatic proof of a dietary cause or equivalent total-body depletion.

Low magnesium may accompany gastrointestinal loss, some medicines or renal disorders and, when severe, affect rhythm and nerve excitability. High magnesium is especially relevant with impaired excretion and magnesium-containing products. A cramp alone does not establish deficiency. Correcting low potassium or calcium sometimes requires attention to magnesium, so treatment follows combined causes and findings rather than one symptom or a universal supplement recommendation.

Kidneys play a major role in magnesium excretion, while the intestine determines uptake. Serum samples only a small body fraction, so a normal result does not exclude every depletion; a genuinely low result still matters. Different intracellular tests are not necessarily standardized equivalently. Interpret symptoms, medicines, kidneys and related electrolytes together rather than assuming a marketed panel provides a definitive whole-body measure.

Concentration is substance per volume, distinct from total body content. Water shifts can raise or lower a value without a proportional change in total element amount. Unit conversion also distinguishes mass from particle quantity; ion charge matters for some units. Interpretation after exercise therefore considers sampling time and fluid status rather than relying solely on the printed laboratory number.