What Is a ZMA Supplement?

ZMA is a trademarked product made by the company SNAC System. It is a proprietary mixture of zinc monomethionine aspartate, magnesium aspartate and pyridoxine which is known as vitamin B6. ZMA is a popular supplement among athletes and bodybuilders for testosterone and sleep support. Before you decide to take a ZMA supplement, please consult with a doctor.

Benefits

Although ZMA is promoted as a testosterone support supplement, its effectiveness hasn't been determined. A 2004 study published in the "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition" found while ZMA during resistance training did increase zinc levels 11 to 17 percent, it had no noticeable effect on body composition or hormones. A 2009 study in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found a similar result.

Dose

ZMA's recommended dose of three pills for a male contains 30 mg of zinc, 450 mg of magnesium and 10.5 mg of vitamin B6. Women should take two pills to get 7 mg of zinc, 300 mg of magnesium and 20 mg of vitamin B6. You should take the pills 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime on an empty stomach. Because calcium contends with magnesium for absorption, you should avoid taking ZMA with calcium-containing food or supplements.

Packaging

Since the trademarked term ZMA is licensed to several companies, packaging and ingredients may change between brands. Many ZMA pills come in clear gelatin capsules with white powder inside. Read the product label carefully because ZMA blends often contain additional ingredients such as Tribulus terrestris for testosterone or melatonin and 5-HTP for sleep support. Consult with a doctor about each additional ingredient found on the label.

Significance

Increasing your testosterone has a wide variety of effects, but the most popular benefits you might obtain from it are muscle gains, fat loss, increased energy and sex drive. There are risks of increasing your testosterone such as hair loss, acne and menstrual changes in females. The magnesium in ZMA is often used as a sedative, and an article in the publication "Sleep" reports it may be useful for restless-leg-related insomnia.

Considerations

Because ZMA contains two common minerals and one vitamin, you could decide to change your diet instead of supplementing with pills. Food sources high in magnesium are spinach, cashews and bananas. Some zinc-containing foods are beef, lamb and peanuts. Vitamin B6 can be found in nuts, fish and spinach.