The Prowler may be even more effective for sleep than Magnesium supplementation

I haven’t run a Nutritional Q&A in a little while and I wanted to share some of the excellent questions that came up during last month’s Whole30 challenge, since it’s mostly been in the forum.

This one was from Alia:

Are the following things Paleo?
Mirin
Toasted Sesame Oil
Cotton Seed Oil
Vinegar

Mirin — nope, it’s 40-50% sugar added to rice alcohol.
Toasted Sesame Oil — yes, have at it
Cotton Seed Oil — no deal, it’s one of the bad oils along with corn, peanut, soybean, etc. Terrible n-3/n-6 ratio.
Vinegar — fine, provided it’s not malt vinegar (gluten) or some others… here’s info:

The Exceptions (via Whole9, via this link)

• Malt vinegar derived using barley malt is NOT gluten-free.
• Certain flavored vinegars are NOT gluten-free. When flavorings are added to any ingredient list their source should be questioned.
• Vinegars produced outside the United States MAY NOT be gluten-free and must be researched carefully prior to consumption.
• Some Chinese “brown” vinegars, for example, according to Triumph Dining, have “wheat mash” added at the “end” of the fermentation or distillation process to lend flavor rendering it NOT safe for Celiacs. 4
• Japanese “seasoned” rice vinegars also MAY NOT be safe to trust, according to Triumph Dining.

Additionally, the main reason that vinegar (and salt) are eschewed in Cordain’s original book is due to the net acidifying effect on the body. However, in one of Robb Wolf’s recent podcasts he mentioned that regularly eating dark green leafy vegetables provides enough net-base to offset this problem and he doesn’t worry about reasonable salt/vinegar use.

This next question was from Nik:

Hey Marcus,
What are your thoughts on individuals with magnesium deficiencies? Read on someone’s blog they began experimenting with it as they read somewhere about improving sleep? Thoughts about it? Reason I ask is sometimes I have trouble falling asleep, not sure if it’s stress related/mind running or what. Also, I lately have had a tough time sleeping pretty deep. (Goes in waves, good/bad)

Thanks!

You’re typically going to be getting your magnesium from dark, green leafy vegetables. Calcium can cause some competition in the body causing poor magnesium uptake if you are getting too much calcium, especially dairy sources.

That said, yes — many individuals note improved sleep with magnesium supplementation. I personally use Natural Calm, a magnesium citrate supplement, as you may have seen on my food log. Another option is ZMA, which may also have some ergogenic effects in addition to deeper sleep.

Just don’t overdo the dosage, as magnesium is a natural laxative.

WOD 05.16.11

Snatch+OHS 2-2-2

“Amanda”
9-7-5
Muscle Ups
Snatches

Rest 2 mins then:
AMRAP 1
Burpees