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Abstract

Magnesium supports energy metabolism, neuromuscular regulation, and muscle contraction, yet direct evidence for its supplementation benefits on explosive strength and sprint performance in elite soccer players remains limited. This study examined the effect of eight weeks of magnesium supplementation, combined with regular training, on vertical jump height and 30-m sprint performance in elite soccer players. This exploratory, open-label, randomized controlled trial used a parallel pretest–post-test design. Twenty-four first-team players from Duhok Sports Club were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive either 350 mg/day elemental magnesium (as magnesium citrate) for 8 weeks or regular training alone. Primary outcomes were vertical jump height and 30-m sprint time; serum magnesium was the secondary outcome, analyzed via two-way mixed ANOVA with ANCOVA, reporting effect sizes and 95% CIs. No withdrawals or missing data occurred. Vertical jump height increased from 45.17 ± 3.41 to 50.08 ± 3.62 cm, and sprint time decreased from 4.48 ± 0.18 to 4.24 ± 0.16 s in the experimental group. Adjusted between-group differences were 3.67 cm (95% CI: 1.71–5.63; p = 0.001; η2 = 0.376) for sprint time. Serum Mg rose from 1.82 ± 0.13 to 2.08 ± 0.15 mg/dL, with minimal change in controls. Magnesium was associated with greater vertical jump improvement, a low-bias 1-cm measure; the 0.17-s sprint-time advantage falls within manual-timing reaction error (∼0.10–0.24 s) and remains preliminary. Findings should be confirmed with electronic timing and quantified dietary magnesium control. Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) is addressed, as this study contributes to advancing knowledge of sports nutrition and the role of magnesium supplementation in supporting muscular function and physical performance among athletes.

Article Type

Original Study

First Page

445

Last Page

455

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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