ZMA thoughts?

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sack5

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Some guys I train with suggested ZMA (Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate) to take strength training to the next level. I am a 20 year old male so I don't want anything screwing with my growth hormones, etc; but apparently this stuff is supposed to be a safe supplement that naturally increases testosterone levels to improve muscle gains. Any thoughts on this? I want to hear someones take on this that obviously knows more about it than me. Also, any good suggestions for safe supplements to help with my strength on the mat?
 
It is a good supplement, but not for the reasons your friend thinks. It will not raise your test levels, but may help maintain them. It's main benefit IMO is sleep/recovery.
 
It's just magnesium, zinc, and vit B6. They are simply vitamins and minerals and won't screw up anything unless you take asinine quantities.

They won't do jack shit for testosterone levels or strength gains unless you're deficient in those minerals.

Some say that it makes them sleep better but that has nothing to do with your post.
 
Monger said:
It's just magnesium, zinc, and vit B6. They are simply vitamins and minerals and won't screw up anything unless you take asinine quantities.

They won't do jack shit for testosterone levels or strength gains unless you're deficient in those minerals.

Some say that it makes them sleep better but that has nothing to do with your post.
Click to expand...

This pretty much sums it up. Personally, I feel like it helps me out, but don't buy a bottle that says ZMA on it. Go to the vitamin aisle of the supermarket and get some zinc, magnesium, and B6 (or if you like, I suppose a B-complex), and then take the appropriate amount of each. I'm being extra lazy so I won't go over and look at my bottles to tell you figures, but a simple trip to google will tell you all you need to know, probably more accurately than I would anyway.
 
Good For Sleep and Recovery and Hormone Regulation but it's not going to raise them like a Testosterone Booster would.

If Patrick Arnold can appreciate the ingenuity that Victor Conte put into ZMA, than it has to be good.

I personally haven't used it
 
I just finished up a bottle of ZMA from Vitamin Shoppe per a recommendation on this forum http://www.sherdog.net/forums/28729265-post1.html. ZMA is pretty cheap but it's important to find the original SNAC formula which basically means you get the right form of Zinc and Magnesium. It's not going to make you an animal, I consider it along the same lines of a multi.
 
mostly sleep benefits, some but i think minimal test benefits
 
It did affect my dreams but I did not sleep better or worse while taking it.
 
I'm 19 and i've taken it once(ultimate nutrition ZMA), i really didnt notice too much of a difference when using it. no extra strength as far i remember or better sleep. as far crazy dreams, i wouldnt know because i never remember them dreams anyway...

i just dont like how it should be taken on an empty stomach and u should avoid any dairy products.
 
Haha; wow good to know. I really appreciate all the input.
 
Yeah, there have been a few in depth discussions on it. I'm surprised there's not a section or link on it in the FAQ (Hint, hint Mike :D)
 
ronin0352 said:
Yeah, there have been a few in depth discussions on it. I'm surprised there's not a section or link on it in the FAQ (Hint, hint Mike :D)
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Yeah, there was a time I was going to do a ZMA guide, and then the deeper I looked into ZMA, the less I thought a guide was needed. It's a two-fold mineral supplement with added B6. No more, no less. Those said two minerals are vitally important to athletes, and one wouldn't be wasting money by supplementing, especially with the added benefit of better sleep. Poliquin states that every single athlete that walks through his door is deficient in both, and he's probably right, but he's also crazier than a shithouse rat.

Supplementation has be proven not to do shit for test levels, and the Zn/Mg deficiency will never be proven in every individual who eats properly. It helps me sleep, so the value for me is priceless.

There. Guide is done. :icon_chee I know there's a shitload of threads on ZMA with some good discussion from the past, but I'd have to take the time to sit down and attempt to corral them all into one thread. Maybe one day.
 
I think you pretty much covered it. We had a Mg thread a few month ago where we talked about bioavailibity, the effects we did/did not feel with Mg, types of Mg supplements, etc. Might want to link that. I'm sure there's another one floating around here for zinc, probably a B6 one from about the time of the FDA ban (has anything come of that?).

I think that's about it.
 
I took ZMA for about 2 months, and I definitely felt that I slept better, and woke up more rested.
 
I just bought some the other day to test out along with GABA, I took GABA last night for the first time and it fucked me all up, I'm still groggy and foggy headed as shit, slept for 10 hours and I still want to just lay down and sleep more.

I'm going to try out the ZMA probably tomorrow so I can get a better guage on it since I'm not normal yet from the GABA.
 
MikeMartial said:
Yeah, there was a time I was going to do a ZMA guide, and then the deeper I looked into ZMA, the less I thought a guide was needed. It's a two-fold mineral supplement with added B6. No more, no less. Those said two minerals are vitally important to athletes, and one wouldn't be wasting money by supplementing, especially with the added benefit of better sleep. Poliquin states that every single athlete that walks through his door is deficient in both, and he's probably right, but he's also crazier than a shithouse rat.

Supplementation has be proven not to do shit for test levels, and the Zn/Mg deficiency will never be proven in every individual who eats properly. It helps me sleep, so the value for me is priceless.

There. Guide is done. :icon_chee I know there's a shitload of threads on ZMA with some good discussion from the past, but I'd have to take the time to sit down and attempt to corral them all into one thread. Maybe one day.
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What exactly does the b6 do? Im taking a calcium-magnesium-zinc that has vitamin D to help with absorption
 
Steakeater said:
What exactly does the b6 do? Im taking a calcium-magnesium-zinc that has vitamin D to help with absorption
Click to expand...

B6 helps with neurotransmitter conversion of tryptophan to serotonin; without serotonin, there can be no melatonin conversion.

Tryptophan--->serotonin--->melatonin.

It's also involved in the conversion of glutamate to GABA, but to what degree, I don't know.

Interesting also is that for pyridoxine to be converted to it's biologically active form P5P, the zinc dependent enzyme pyridoxial kinase must be present. I wonder if Conte actually knew this when he patented ZMA.
 
Makes me have to run to the bathroom with the Hershey squirts 6 hours into my good nights sleep.
 
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