Fitness Volt
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Exercise Guides
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Diet
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
  • More
    • CrossFit
    • News
      • Results
      • Mr. Olympia 2022
      • 2022 WSM
      • Arnold Classic
    • Fitness Calculator
    • Food Facts
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
    • Deals
  • Reviews
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Exercise Guides
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Diet
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
  • More
    • CrossFit
    • News
      • Results
      • Mr. Olympia 2022
      • 2022 WSM
      • Arnold Classic
    • Fitness Calculator
    • Food Facts
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
    • Deals
  • Reviews
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
No Result
View All Result
Supplements

Can ZMA Help Build Muscle And Support Sleep?

Justin Robertson

Written by Justin Robertson

Last Updated onAugust 21, 2018

ZMA is more than just a sleep supplement!

This week’s supplement of the week is Zinc Magnesium Aspartate, better known as ZMA. Read any bottle of ZMA or any description from a maker of ZMA and there will be strong claims that it aids in increasing testosterone, muscle recovery and promoting more restful sleep. Obviously, these would all be great for anyone looking to build muscle, but are the claims true?

ZMA is a specifically formulated ratio of 30 mg zinc, 450 mg magnesium and 10.5 mg vitamin B-6 which is supposed to help maximize the effectiveness of the minerals involved. The basis behind the effectiveness of ZMA is that strenuous training can result in a loss of the body’s zinc and magnesium levels and you need to replace them because of this.

If you want better muscle recovery, more strength and size, less fat, and better sleep, explore the pros and cons of this popular supplement.

Most of ZMA’s claims are based on a study done by Brilla and Conte (1999) which took off-season football players and had them train and supplement with ZMA and showed subjects had an increase in testosterone, IGF-1 and muscle strength. (1) There is also evidence that when subjects have a zinc deficiency supplementing with ZMA can help increase zinc levels. (2)

That all sounds great, but I think it lacks credibility. For one the study with the football players was financed by one of the researchers and holds the patent on the product being tested. Not that if something is financed by a researcher or a company it can’t be credible, but in my opinion, it at least needs to be a peer-reviewed journal. Sometimes companies will fund a study to prove their product works, and getting peer-reviewed journals published is very difficult.

Further research on the subject of ZMA does not appear to coincide with Brilla and Conte. While a 2004 study by Wilborn et al. published in the Journal of the International Society of Sport Nutrition did show there was a non-significant 12-17% increase in serum zinc levels in subjects taking ZMA with training (magnesium was not affected) it did not, in turn, find it had any effect on anabolic hormones, strength or lean body mass. This study also found that zinc and magnesium levels were not negatively impacted by training. (3) In support of this Lukasi (1995) showed that while some research does suggest zinc and magnesium levels are diminished in athletes, most of them get adequate intake of both minerals through dietary intake making supplementation unnecessary. (4)

Now as for sleep, this one amazes me. With so many strong claims of ZMA helping support sleep patterns, I found absolutely no research whatsoever supporting this claim when using ZMA directly. Not only could I not find any research to support it, I couldn’t even find any research that even looked at it. The only things out there I could find that could support this at all was research by Hornyak et al. (1998) that showed subjects with insomnia significantly improved their symptoms with oral magnesium therapy. (5) The other being research by Tanabe at al. (1998) which showed chronic sleep deprivation causes magnesium deficiency as well as decreased exercise tolerance (big surprise there) and that the decreased exercise tolerance resulting from the sleep deprivation could be improved with oral magnesium administration. (6)

Best ZMA Supplements:


My take away from the sleep claims is that if you are deficient in magnesium or have chronic sleep deprivation ZMA might, and I stress the word might be of some use, but I haven’t seen any research strong enough to convince me it definitely helps those who train frequently. As for claims of increasing testosterone and muscle anabolism, I’m definitely not convinced.

Much like glutamine ZMA is relatively inexpensive, but I personally believe you are once again better off spending your money elsewhere. It’s possible there are some benefits to sleep but there needs to be more research done on the supplement to get a better understanding.

Also read:

  • Can Beta-Alanine Build More Muscle?
  • Creatine Timing, Loading And Cycling
  • Creatine Ethyl Ester Vs Monohydrate
  • Can HMB Build Muscle And Burn Fat?
  • Does Glutamine Help Muscle Recovery?
For the latest news and updates please follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard LinkedIn
Categories: Anabolic Hormones Muscle-Building Supplements
Previous Post

WATCH: Jay Cutler “Not Everyone Want To Be 300lbs” Talks About Future of Bodybuilding Divisions

Next Post

Muscle: Testosterone in Men and Women

Justin Robertson

Justin Robertson

Recommended For You

Should You Stop Taking A Whey Protein

Will You Lose Muscles if You Stop Taking Whey Protein?

"Will I lose muscles if I stop taking whey protein?" is probably the first thing that comes to mind if...

How To Squat Better

How to Squat Better for More Muscle

The squat is heralded as the granddaddy of leg exercises. Whether your goal is to get your legs stronger, bigger,...

Muscle Building Goals

How to Set Realistic Muscle-Building Goals for Better Results

You probably step inside a gym or training facility with goals. You're probably not there to waste time. If you’re...

Muscle Building Nutrition

The 5 Principles of Muscle-Building Nutrition

I want to build the most muscle possible. That’s a statement we tell ourselves over and over when we step...

How Long Does It Take To Get Ripped?

How Long Does It Take to Get Shredded?

According to a lot of fitness and weight loss infomercials, you can get shredded in 30-days or less while eating...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Ghost Legend Pre-Workout Review

Ghost Legend Pre-Workout Review

Superhero Workouts

5 Superhero Workout and Diet Programs: From Hulk to Ant-Man

Derek Lunsford calves and delts training

Derek Lunsford Annihilates Delts And Calves Workout, Shares Healthy Cheat Meal

Recent Reviews

Ghost Legend Pre-Workout Review

Ghost Legend Pre-Workout Review

Best Vitamin C Supplements 1

10 Best Vitamin C Supplements of 2022

Best Pump Supplements

Top 10 Best Pump Supplements of 2022

Fitness Volt

At FitnessVolt.com Our mission is to help our readers to achieve their fitness goals, regardless of where you’re at on your journey, we are on a mission to educate You with the latest from strength and fitness space. Read more.

Email: sm(at)fitnessvolt.com

Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. However, our reviews are based on well research backed analysis.

Follow Us

Trending Topics

  • Mr. Olympia
  • Bodybuilding
  • Strongman
  • Powerlifting
  • CrossFit
  • At Home Workouts
  • Bodyweight Exercises
  • Best Pre-workouts
  • Best Fat Burners
  • Bodybuilding Diet
  • Bicep Workouts
  • Triceps Workouts
  • Chest Exercises
  • Back Workouts
  • Leg Workouts
  • Front Squat Guide
  • Calf Workouts & Exercises
  • Forgotten Exercises
  • Jefferson Deadlift

Calculators

  • Calorie Burning Calculators
  • IF Calculator
  • TDEE Calculator
  • Calorie Calculator
  • Keto Calculator
  • RMR Calculator
  • Macronutrient Calculator
  • Creatine Calculator
  • Wilks Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • FFMI Calculator
  • IBW Calculator
  • LBM Calculator
  • Fat Intake Calculator
  • Calories Burned Swimming
  • Calories Per Meal Calculator

  • Food Nutrition Analysis
  • Carb Cycling Calculator
  • Weight Gain Calculator
  • Weight Loss Calculator
  • Calories Burned Calculator
  • Strength Standards
  • One Rep Max Calculator
  • Body Fat Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • Weight Loss Percentage
  • Treadmill Calorie Calculator
  • Body Surface Area Calculator
  • Running Pace Calculator
  • Bench Press Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Water Intake Calculator
  • Body Type Quiz
  • Steps to Miles Calculator
  • Calorie Deficit Calculator
  • Home
  • About
  • Jobs
  • Accessibility
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Syndication
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Copyrights
  • Terms
  • Privacy

© Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • CrossFit
  • Workouts
  • Mr. Olympia
  • Exercise Guides
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
  • Training
  • Nutrition
  • Reviews
  • More
    • 2022 WSM
    • Diet
    • News
    • Arnold Classic
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • Food Facts
    • Deals
    • Fitness Calculator

© Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.