What Is ZMA, and Is It Worth Taking?

ZMA is made up of three ingredients: zinc, magnesium, and Vitamin B6. ZMA may help increase muscle mass, boost immunity, control blood sugar, and provide other benefits.

ZMA is a health supplement popular with many fitness enthusiasts, bodybuilders, and athletes.

Short for zinc magnesium aspartate, ZMA is made up of three ingredients: zinc, magnesium, and Vitamin B6. Those who sell this supplement claim that ZMA can improve sleep and stamina, build muscle strength, and assist with muscle recovery.

However, peer-reviewed research and clinical studies haven’t been able to confirm what ZMA proponents have been saying for years, leaving the question of whether ZMA is worth taking at all.

Here we’ll look at what ZMA is, how its components affect the body, and what people say about it to get to the bottom of whether ZMA has anything positive to offer. 

Not to be confused with zinc or magnesium on its own, ZMA is a patented formula that combines the two minerals with vitamin B to create a supplement that’s a blend of all three. Some manufacturers may include other ingredients in it as well, such as the hormone melatonin, which helps regulate your internal clock. 

The precise measurement of each ingredient in ZMA varies slightly with different brands, with many popular ZMA brands occupying the following dosage ranges for each of the three main components:

1. Zinc monomethionine: 20 to 30 milligrams
2. Magnesium aspartate: 350 to 450 milligrams
3. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): 7 to 12 milligrams

All three of ZMA’s ingredients are essential to the body and offer many important benefits:

Zinc

Zinc is a trace mineral found in certain foods, added to others, or taken as a dietary supplement. It supports the activity of hundreds of enzymes responsible for your cells’ metabolism. Zinc improves immune system function, wound healing, protein synthesis, and cell division. It also supports growth and healthy development from pregnancy to adolescence.

The recommended daily amount (RDA) of zinc for most adults to meet nutritional requirements is eight to eleven milligrams. So, by taking ZMA, you’re likely getting more than double the recommended daily amount.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an abundant mineral that’s naturally present in many foods, some medicines, and lots of dietary supplements. Magnesium supports the activity of over 300 enzyme systems that see to a wide range of chemical reactions in the body. A few examples are energy production, help with nerve and muscle function, contribution to bone development, and control of blood sugar levels. 

The RDA for magnesium is between 310 and 420 milligrams for most adults, meaning that ZMA supplements provide slightly more than the recommended amount.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is a vitamin that dissolves in water. It’s incredibly versatile and responsible for many functions in the body, engaging more than 100 enzymes. Vitamin B6 also plays a role in various forms of metabolism and cognitive development.

The RDA range for vitamin B6 is between 1.2 and 1.7 milligrams, meaning that ZMA supplements provide significantly more — around 620% — of this vitamin than is minimally recommended. 

Although clinical studies do not yet back up these claims, many proponents continue to advocate for ZMA, saying that it provides several potential benefits:

ZMA may increase your testosterone levels and build muscle mass

Though this is one of the central claims of taking ZMA, multiple studies have concluded that there’s no clinical evidence to suggest this. 

A more accurate way to read the data is that a deficiency in zinc or magnesium may result in reduced testosterone levels and more difficulty building muscle mass, but excessive intake is not necessarily better than the RDA.

ZMA could boost your immune system

While there aren’t any direct correlations to support this, there is some truth to this claim. For example, zinc is known to improve wound healing and help your natural immune system function. A zinc deficiency could lead to inflammation and tissue damage, so ensuring your body has enough is important.

Magnesium also assists in immune function, and if you have a deficiency, it can lead to chronic inflammation. ZMA is one way to see that your body gets enough of this mineral.

Finally, vitamin B6 also plays a critical role in immune function. Like zinc and magnesium, a vitamin B6 deficiency can decrease the production of some antibodies that promote your overall health. 

ZMA may help control your blood sugar

Both zinc and magnesium can help regulate your blood sugar levels and could assist in the treatment of diabetes. 

ZMA might improve sleep

There are direct connections between the effects of zinc and magnesium on sleep quality. Suppose you’re deficient in either of these minerals. In that case, ZMA could give your body more than enough of both to assist in sleep regulation.

ZMA may help with premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Vitamin B6 and magnesium also help reduce bloating and other symptoms associated with PMS — a series of symptoms that occur one to two weeks before the menstrual cycle.

ZMA could elevate your mood 

Finally, magnesium intake can help with minimizing stress and reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Getting your recommended daily amount of magnesium can support a better mood.

People who take ZMA sometimes report having strange dreams, but this data is anecdotal and not corroborated by research. 

Although ZMA provides a much higher dose of each ingredient than is recommended, there are currently no side effects directly linked to taking ZMA. However, taking very high doses of the main ingredients in the supplement may lead to specific problems:

• Excess zinc: headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, loss of appetite, and dizziness
• Excess magnesium: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps
• Excess vitamin B6: numbness or pain in your hands and feet, as well as nerve damage

Whether ZMA is something you should take is directly related to your body’s zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6 levels. If you know you have a deficiency in one or all these areas, supplements like ZMA are an option to improve your levels. However, various supplement options exist, including ones that only provide one of ZMA’s three key ingredients. You might find these to be more suitable options. 

Before starting a regimen of new supplements, always talk to your doctor to ensure you make the best dietary choices.