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Like protein, creatine, and vitamin D, magnesium is one of a handful of nutrients that has achieved escape velocity from niche wellness circles and routinely makes the rounds through the broader conversation—and not undeservedly so. “The importance of magnesium cannot be overstated,” says J. Rand Baggesen, MD, founder and medical director at Executive Health Group.

While magnesium tends to come up on podcasts in the context of improving sleep or supporting healthy muscle function, the mineral actually plays a vital, much broader role in all kinds of bodily functions across the nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal systems, says Daniel Chavez, RD, CSCS, a registered dietician at Fay Nutrition—everything from regulating blood sugar to repairing DNA. “You could actually be so broad as to say magnesium supports every function of the body,” says Laura Purdy, MD, MBA, founder and CEO of Swell Medical.

You get the picture: Magnesium is a big deal. However, experts explained to GQ that magnesium intake is actually pretty far down the list of things you should likely be concerning yourself with. Here’s why.

You’re probably already getting enough magnesium through your diet.

“Most people are not deficient in magnesium,” says Dr. Purdy. For one, the nutrient is relatively abundant in most modern diets. “Magnesium is found in all kinds of food, whether that be grains, fruits, vegetables, fish—just about anything that you can find in nature to eat, it's going to have some form of magnesium in it,” she says.

Moreover, magnesium isn’t the kind of nutrient you need to bomb your system with on a daily basis to reap the benefits—unlike, for example, protein. “Because it is such an important substance, your body does a good job of storing it,” says Dr. Purdy. “It's absorbed in the intestines and stored in the bone marrow. So if you have a period where you're maybe not eating as much, you still have some magnesium to pull from.”

Magnesium supplements can be helpful—in specific cases.

While magnesium is undeniably an important factor in supporting sleep, muscle function, and mood—the kinds of things people tend to seek quick-fix solutions for—it’s not something you’ll want to throw at a specific problem. As mentioned, you’re probably already getting enough through your diet, but also, overdoing it could potentially be harmful, says Dr. Purdy, given magnesium’s broader implications throughout the body.

“With magnesium, more is definitely not more,” says Dr. Purdy, who advises anyone using a magnesium supplement to stay close to the recommended daily value, unless otherwise directed by a doctor. (The NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements recommends healthy adult males aim for 400–420 milligrams of magnesium per day.) “The purpose of a recommended daily value is it's been tested and it's been studied so that you know that you will be safe and healthy ingesting that amount,” she says.

If it seems like your diet might be falling short in the magnesium department (an evaluation best left to your doctor, with the help of a red blood cell analysis), supplements are a convenient way to fill in any gaps.

“We lose magnesium via sweat and stress,” says Brittany Michels, MS, RDN, LDN, CPT, a registered dietitian at The Vitamin Shoppe. “Athletes in particular, especially those with high sweat rates, are prone to magnesium depletion.” If you play sports or live a particularly active lifestyle (sit down, weekend warrior), muscle cramping and restlessness are the most common signs that you might be falling short of your recommended daily intake. Of course, those are also symptoms of dehydration, so maybe start by making sure you’re drinking enough water before reaching for a magnesium supplement.

Magnesium isn’t a product. It’s a category.

As a supplement, magnesium is available in as many as 10 different forms, each with their own nuanced properties. Failing to understand that may lead people to use supplements that are either not right for them or aren’t being utilized effectively by the body—or both.

“From a functional medicine approach, it is important to consider the various forms of

magnesium and the functions they serve in the human body,” says Dr. Baggesen. For instance, "magnesium L-threonate is a form of magnesium that is better absorbed by neural tissue in the brain than magnesium citrate," while "magnesium glycinate is another form of magnesium that is a particularly good choice for muscles; it is well absorbed by muscular tissue, and is often helpful for muscle cramping."

Ultimately, each form of magnesium comes with its own unique set of strengths and weaknesses, and if you’re considering supplementing with magnesium, experts told GQ the questions of “why” and “how” are better directed to your doctor than Google.

“Even though supplements don't require a prescription, they're still a medication,” says Dr. Purdy. “And in some instances, like this one specifically, it has the potential to be a serious medication.”

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Dean Stattmann is a writer for GQ, where he covers health, fitness, and wellness. An award-winning magazine editor and writer with over a decade covering men's lifestyle, Dean has profiled A-listers like Hugh Jackman and Jamie Foxx, reported from behind the scenes at the Tour de France, and skateboarded with... Read moreInstagramRelated Stories for GQHealth