ZMA is a supplement that has been around for a very long time. It’s cheap and has often been marketed for boosting testosterone, increasing recovery, and improving sleep…but should you take it? Is it worth the money? Let’s take a look!
ZMA is a very cheap supplement compared to most. This alone makes it worth considering. Add in the fact that it may increase testosterone and improve sleep. It sounds like a supplement that should be in your arsenal. That said, even though it’s cheap…it may not be worth it.
Zinc
ZMA products contain Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin B6. This is a pretty simple formula so let’s break each one down.
Zinc is the ingredient associated with the claim of increased testosterone production. However, there isn’t much supportive evidence for this. If you’re deficient in Zinc then it may be worth considering, but most of you are not deficient. Zinc has been associated with improving the immune system as well, but again this is related to a deficiency. If you’re not deficient in Zinc then you likely won’t get these benefits. Most people are getting enough zinc in their diet. Having “enough” is the goal to get these benefits. Having more than enough doesn’t mean you’ll get more benefits. So, if you get enough zinc in your diet then taking extra likely won’t have any added benefits. Also, Zinc can decrease the amount of copper in your system. This is why many zinc products contain a small amount of copper in them…however, ZMA products usually do not. In the end, we have to factor in the copper depleting aspect and compare that negative to the potential upside. Almost all of the upside is associated with correcting a zinc deficiency. Considering many of you are likely not deficient in zinc, then I’d say that zinc supplements are not worthwhile on an everyday basis. If you believe you’re deficient in zinc then a dietary supplement can certainly help. If you’re not, then you likely won’t see any benefit to taking it.
Magnesium
Magnesium is worth taking. We’ve learned that people who perform rigorous exercise (athletes, etc.) can use more magnesium in their diet. Magnesium is used widely in the body and a lot of bodily functions rely on magnesium. If you’re deficient in magnesium then your body won’t function as it should. Magnesium can help improve insulin sensitivity and improve blood glucose levels. This is a great thing for anybody trying to lose weight or build muscle. Magnesium has been shown to be great for the brain, heart, and muscle as well. The only real drawback to magnesium is that poor quality forms of magnesium can cause diarrhea in some people and have lower absorption rates. If you take a good magnesium product then you likely won’t experience this side effect and only reap the benefits. So, magnesium is certainly a product that you should be taking on a daily, or near daily, basis.
B6
B6 is from the B-vitamin family. B6 often works best when taken alongside B12. B12, unfortunately, doesn’t absorb in the digestive system very well and this is the reason most people get B12 shots. You have to really try hard to overdose on B vitamins, so some extra B6 likely isn’t going to be harmful to you. However, it may not be all that beneficial outside of a deficiency either. Considering B6 finds its way into a lot of other supplements, I’d be surprised if you weren’t already taking B6 in one of your other supplements already. So, B6 is a wash. It’s probably not going to hurt or help you so I wouldn’t put too much thought into it.
Usage Recommendations
You can look at this information a few ways. One way is that you can get a ZMA product but don’t take it daily. You can maybe take it 2-3 days a week instead. Some people notice a sleep benefit to it due to the calming effect of magnesium, so you could also save it for days when you need assistance with falling asleep (only if that works for you). Taking it infrequently like this will help prevent a zinc overdose and copper deficiency while still giving you enough of each ingredient to make sure you keep enough zinc, magnesium, and B6 in your diet.
You could also buy the three ingredients separately. This will allow you to take magnesium daily and then take the zinc and B6 infrequently. Make sure to find a zinc product with copper if you choose to do this. You’ll get all of the benefits with none of the downside if you do it this way.
Is ZMA Worth It?
So, is ZMA worth it? This is a tough answer. I wouldn’t take it just for its testosterone boosting effects. That said, it’s cheap and does offer some upside when taken properly. I don’t see enough upsides compared to downsides to really justify ZMA as an “essential” supplement that you need to be taking. Magnesium, however, is a solid YES…it’s worth it. ZMA is cheap enough that you can take it for the magnesium alone. You should for sure be supplementing with magnesium, whether that is from your ZMA product or a stand-alone product. The downside is that most forms of magnesium in ZMA products are a lower quality form. If you find a ZMA product with a quality magnesium source and with enough copper to offset the Zinc side effect…and if it was at a good value, then I’d be all for it. Until then, it’s not a complete waste of time but certainly something that I’d consider an “optional” supplement and non-essential.
REMEMBER…there isn’t a supplement on the planet that will do the work for you. You need a good diet and a good training plan. Be sure to check out my training plan here!
