What is ZMA Supplement?
What exactly is ZMA Supplement?
ZMA or Zinc monomethionine and aspartate and magnesium Aspartate is a combination of the minerals zinc and magnesium with vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine).
ZMA supplement is popular with athletes to build muscle strength, boost testosterone, and improve 
recovery after a workout.
Studies have shown that most people do not get enough magnesium or zinc. When we exercise, we lose these vitamins and minerals. So if we are already deficient and then we workout or body build, we will be even more deficient.
Why is magnesium important?
Magnesium plays an important role in bone strength and muscle contractions. If you have low levels of magnesium, changes are you also have poor sleep.
Why is zinc important?
Zinc is important to body builders because of the role it plays in producing testosterone. It also has a role in protein synthesis and cellular growth
Why is Vitamin B6 important?
This vitamin helps in the conversion of protein into energy for the body.
If you have low levels of magnesium and zinc, your muscle growth will be negatively affected.
Some studies have shown an increase in testosterone levels of more than 40% after taking a ZMA supplement. It can also produce an overall improvement in muscle strength.
An often-cited study on ZMA comes from Western Washington University. Here athletes (football players) took ZMA for 8 weeks and had 2.5 times more muscle gain and strength than athletes doing the same workouts that did not take the supplement. The athletes taking the ZMA supplement also saw a 30% increase in their testosterone levels.
Yes it is true that you get these vitamins and minerals from your food.
Here are some great foods to look at:
Magnesium
- Dark leafy greens
- Beans and lentils
- Fish
- Nuts
- Avocados
- Bananans
- Dark chocolate
Zinc
- Beef
- Spinach
- Nuts
- Pork
- Mushrooms
- Shrimp
- Kidney beans
- Flax seed
Vitamin B6
- Pistachios
- Turkey
- Pork
- Sunflower seeds
- Bananas
- Avocados
- Spinach
Some power foods from these lists seem to be bananas, spinach, nuts and avocados.
However, as mentioned earlier many of us do not get adequate amounts of these substances. And don’t forget if we workout, we lose even more.
Being all natural, ZMA supplement is not banned by athletic organizations which is another reason why it is preferred by athletes.
As far as side effects – since most of these supplements should be all natural, there should be little to no side effects. Again, always consult with your doctor before taking any supplements.
