Elevated cortisol levels and sleep deprivation increase the depletion of magnesium in the body.
"Because as soon as you can't sleep, cortisol goes up. Cortisol then depletes more magnesium. The requirement of magnesium goes up." (said at 0:10:15)
The interaction between physiological stress, elevated cortisol, and magnesium depletion is a recognized hypothesis in nutritional biochemistry (often referred to as the 'magnesium-stress vicious circle'). Observational studies and reviews indicate that psychological or physiological stress, accompanied by activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and higher cortisol levels, is associated with increased urinary excretion of magnesium and lower circulating magnesium concentrations. However, direct evidence establishing that acute sleep loss or elevated cortisol drives clinically significant systemic magnesium depletion requiring increased dietary intake in healthy adults remains primarily supported by cross-sectional and narrative review literature rather than robust randomized trials.
- supports: Magnesium Status and Stress: The Vicious Circle Concept Revisited. (Nutrients 2020)
"This overlap in the results suggests that stress could increase magnesium loss, causing a deficiency; and in turn, magnesium deficiency could enhance the body's susceptibility to stress, resulting in a magnesium and stress vicious circle." (abstract, conclusions, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - context: Association Between Parameters of Cortisol Metabolism, Biomarkers of Minerals (Zinc, Selen… (Biological trace element research 2023)
"Obese women showed increased concentrations of cortisol in serum and urine as well as hypozincemia, hyposelenemia, and hypomagnesemia and increased urinary excretion of these minerals." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)