ZMA was originally developed in the late 1980s by Victor Conte, founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO), primarily for the purpose of enhancing the athletic performance of his clients. ZMA was created in 1992 by Victor Conte and marketed by his company California based Nutraceutical Corporation, which is the current legal owner of the trademark “ZMA”. On ZMA Capsules I don’t know if it’s just because I know there’s oyster meat powder in these or if it’s actually real, but I get a slight seafood/fishy taste and smell when taking these,” says our tester, GGR Senior Staff Writer Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1. “It’s ignorable, but present.” EVL’s ZMA capsules for men are formulated with a combination of magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin D, folic acid, and theanine to promote better sleep, recovery, and strength grains. While taking a plain zinc and magnesium supplement together may provide you with adequate amounts of these important minerals and cost less than a ZMA supplement, I still suggest you spend the money on ZMA. The form of zinc and magnesium used in ZMA is a chelate known as zinc monomethionine/aspartate and magnesium aspartate. Although you may not be interested in the crazy ZMA dreams that many people experience, they bear mentioning.

Third-party testing means that someone other than the brand, who has no vested interest in the outcome, is putting the supplement through a series of lab tests. These lab tests can look for different things, but often it’s a combination of purity (is the supplement clean or contaminated?) and potency (does it have the ingredients in the label in the dosages it claims?).The most important thing to look for in a ZMA supplement is the right active ingredients. It should have some combination of zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6 since that’s literally where it gets its name. Other than that, here are the most important things to consider. Limited Added Ingredients The office of dietary supplements quoted above also state that the daily upper limit for zinc is 40mg, so ZMA is within these parameters, but bear in mind this limit includes zinc from your diet, not only supplementation.

If you start experiencing the dream side effects of ZMA and they are actually disturbing you then it might be worth taking ZMA in the morning or later in the day. For more info see the section on best time to take ZMA for details on how to do this without ruining the absorption of ZMA’s ingredients. Before we get started on the ZMA benefits and side effects it is worth stating that you probably should not bother taking ZMA if are already getting sufficient magnesium, zinc and vitamin B6 from your diet. In fact, it can actually be harmful. While micronutrient deficiencies 2 are widespread across the board, they’re even more common in athletes, especially female athletes 3. ZMA (or zinc magnesium aspartate) supplements may be a way to help bridge that gap. GGR Staff Writer and expert product tester Lauren Strong, CPT, tested the Evlution Nutrition Z-Matrix and said she definitely got deeper sleep. “I’m honestly a pretty heavy sleeper but I’ve been really stressed lately and waking up a few times a night, which is not normal for me,” she explains. “The nights I’ve taken this it helps me sleep through the night and I don’t wake up from my husband’s tossing and turning.” One of the most important aspects of supplementing with ZMA is timing. I have always recommended taking it about 1 hour before bed and 1-2 hours after you eat. This will not only help to maximize its uptake and utilization, as clinical research confirms, but taking ZMA at this time of day will also enhance sleep quality.

Brilla, L. R. and Haley, T. F. Effect of magnesium supplementation on strength training in humans. J Am Coll Nutr. 1992 Jun;11(3):326-9. Vitamin B6, magnesium (magnesium aspartate and magnesium oxide), and zinc (zinc aspartate, zinc oxide, and zinc mono-L-methionine The big question that everyone want to know the answer to is “does ZMA really work?” of course, but there is no simple answer to this as it depends on why you are taking it, and the current levels of ZMA ingredients already present in your body. I certainly find it hard to say that everyone should take ZMA, especially considering some of the possible side effects.

There’s also some evidence that ZMA supplements may increase testosterone 6, IGF-1, and muscle strength. Dosing and Interactions The Swolverine ZMT is specifically formulated for men looking to boost testosterone and get better sleep. It has the same foundational active ingredients as other ZMA supplements—vitamin B6, magnesium, and zinc—with the addition of amino acids and sleep-supporting nutrients like L-theanine and melatonin. However, ZMA provides moderate-to-high doses of zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6. When taken in high doses, these nutrients may have side effects, including ( 42, 43, 44, 45):

There are many claims that Optimum Nutrition ZMA can have no side effects. There are even companies that are selling ZMA without any dosage recommendations. Most companies are being very vague when they write about their product. Because of this, it is hard to determine what any side effects that you will experience when taking this supplement.