Magnesium glycinate and protein powder

Yes, you can take magnesium glycinate and protein powder together — there's no documented problem with combining them, and dietary protein is actually one of the factors research shows helps magnesium get absorbed, not one that competes with it.

What the absorption research says

A 2017 review of intestinal absorption and bioavailability factors for magnesium lists what's been shown to change uptake: high doses of other minerals, certain fibers, phytate and oxalate impair it, while dietary protein, medium-chain triglycerides, and resistant or low-digestibility carbohydrates enhance it. Protein is named specifically as an enhancing factor. The review doesn't establish a dose, ratio or timing protocol for that effect — it's a general dietary-factor finding from the broader absorption literature, not a trial testing "magnesium plus a protein shake" as a combination.

Two different jobs, not a combined effect

Magnesium and protein support muscle through separate, unrelated mechanisms, and there's no research treating them as a stack. Magnesium is authorised under EU nutrient-function claim rules for contributing to normal muscle function, normal energy-yielding metabolism and reduction of tiredness and fatigue (Regulation (EU) 432/2012, EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1807 and 2009;7(9):1216) — magnesium's role there is as a cofactor in the enzyme reactions that let muscle fibers contract and relax normally. Protein's role in muscle is structural: it supplies the amino acids used to build and maintain muscle tissue. Taking both doesn't create a documented combined effect beyond what each does on its own.

Practical mixing

Magnesium glycinate capsules and protein powder are physically compatible — capsules can be taken with a protein shake the same way they'd be taken with a glass of water, and nothing about a protein shake's typical ingredients is known to change how a magnesium capsule is absorbed or broken down. Some people prefer to keep supplements and food separate for their own convenience or digestion; that's a personal preference rather than a documented requirement.

Our product

Electric Tiger Magnesium Glycinate is a single-ingredient product: 275 mg of elemental magnesium from 2,500 mg of magnesium glycinate per three-capsule serving. It doesn't contain protein, and this page isn't about any specific protein product — just whether the two ingredient categories can be combined.

Questions people ask

Can you take magnesium glycinate with a protein shake?

Yes. There's no documented interaction, and a 2017 review of magnesium absorption factors lists dietary protein as something that enhances magnesium uptake rather than something that interferes with it.

Does protein help magnesium absorption?

A 2017 review names protein as one of several dietary factors shown to enhance magnesium uptake, alongside medium-chain triglycerides and resistant starch. It doesn't specify a dose or ratio for that effect, so treat it as a general finding rather than a reason to time the two precisely together.

Is there a reason to take magnesium and protein at the same time?

No specific timing is established. Combining them is convenient for some people; there's no evidence that taking them together or separately changes the outcome of either.

Related reading

• Magnesium glycinate benefits: what's established and what isn't
• Best time to take magnesium glycinate
• Magnesium glycinate and zinc
• How much magnesium glycinate should you take a day?

Sources

• Schuchardt JP, Hahn A. "Intestinal Absorption and Factors Influencing Bioavailability of Magnesium – An Update." Curr Nutr Food Sci. 2017;13(4):260-278. PMID 29123461.
• EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1807 and 2009;7(9):1216 (magnesium claims), Regulation (EU) 432/2012.
• Electric Tiger Magnesium Glycinate Supplement Facts: product page.