Project Number: 5450-51530-009-08
Project Type: Trust

Start Date: May 01, 2007
End Date: May 01, 2009

Objective:
The objective of this cooperative research project is to determine the association between magnesium nutrition (intakes and status) and sleep behavior (quantity, quality, disturbances) in older adults; to determine the efficacy of magnesium supplementation to improve sleep (increase quantity and quality and prevent or reduce disorders); and to identify factors (for example, gender, health, diet, body composition, physical activity, depression ¿ historical or current) that mediate or moderate the relationship between magnesium nutrition and sleep.

Approach:
An experiment will be performed that will have an 8-week double-blind placebo-controlled cross-sectional design. People with sleep complaints (for example, insomnia, nighttime awakenings, difficulty in falling asleep, awakening too early, not feeling rested after sleep) will be recruited. Following baseline assessment during week one of past and current health, diet, body composition, physical activity, depression, and sleep, 100 adults (50 males and 50 females) aged older than 51 yrs will be randomly assigned to one of two groups of 50 each. Groups will be matched by gender, age and overall sleep score and magnesium status (determined by erythrocyte magnesium and calcium, and plasma total and ionized magnesium). Then one group will be given a 300 mg/day magnesium gluconate supplement for 7 weeks while the other group will be given a placebo. An assessment of health, diet, body composition, physical activity, depression, sleep and magnesium status will occur during weeks 6 and 8, concluding the study.