ZMA
- Thread starter Cliner9er
- Start date
I use ZMA on nights that I lift, mainly to help me sleep AND to ensure that I am getting enough Zinc.
I know of several people who are taking Zinc and Magnesium seperately to achieve the same affects as ZMA, for less money.
In either case, I believe the benefits of the suppliment / minerals make it worth taking.
I know of several people who are taking Zinc and Magnesium seperately to achieve the same affects as ZMA, for less money.
In either case, I believe the benefits of the suppliment / minerals make it worth taking.
Yeah, I agree with everyone... I think many people are zinc and/or magnesium deficient, therefore you do a study and give the treatment group ZMA and behold the effects.
So, yeah, ZMA "works", mostly for people who are mineral deficient.
I get ZMA from Beyond-A-Century, seems pretty cheap. It's worth it to me just to ensure I'm getting enough of these minerals, even as someone who doesn't see ZMA as magical.
I'd stay away from all the "ZMA plus" type supplements (e.g., ZMA with L-dopa, etc).
So, yeah, ZMA "works", mostly for people who are mineral deficient.
I get ZMA from Beyond-A-Century, seems pretty cheap. It's worth it to me just to ensure I'm getting enough of these minerals, even as someone who doesn't see ZMA as magical.
I'd stay away from all the "ZMA plus" type supplements (e.g., ZMA with L-dopa, etc).
I
imported_dahammel
Guest
For the small amount of zinc, magnesium, and B6 you're getting you could take a multi-vitamin supplement. Or eat foods so you're not deficient.
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so it really helps with sleep? i'm interested for that fact alone. is it worth it if i want to ensure a better sleep? (i often have trouble with sleep) will just getting generic zinc and magnesium really have the same effect and be cheaper? i'm already taking a multi though.
You need to really shop to find a multivitamin/mineral with adequate magnesium. Most one-a-day type products, even from reputable companies, don't have a lot of magnesium in them.[b said:
I use Twin Lab's Daily One Caps (w/o Iron), and they only have 7.2 mg of magnesium per cap (2% of RDA).
So just to be safe, I buy cheap ZMA.
melatonin wore off for me pretty quickly. useless on me now. same with valerian and kava kava. 
(what were you side effects of melatonin? mine, i found that sometimes it would put me to sleep, only to wake up less than 4 hours later, unable to sleep again)
looks like i have only zma, magnesium, and htp to try before relying on even more unnatural sleep aids. i picked up some zma at vitaminshoppe, 90 caps for $14, just to try it out. is this an outrageous price at all?
(what were you side effects of melatonin? mine, i found that sometimes it would put me to sleep, only to wake up less than 4 hours later, unable to sleep again)looks like i have only zma, magnesium, and htp to try before relying on even more unnatural sleep aids. i picked up some zma at vitaminshoppe, 90 caps for $14, just to try it out. is this an outrageous price at all?
[b said:
I also use Twin Lab's Daily One Caps (with Iron, though), and have taken ZMA at the same time. What worries me is, too much zinc can be a bad thing. The Daily One Caps have 15 mg of zinc and the ZMA has about 30 mg, for a total of about 45 mg of zinc:butbut !!!
Anyone know if 45 mg of zinc daily is bad?
Its heading towards the high zone, if you are eating red meat you will have 15mg a day as well.
Acute toxicity can be had with as little as 25mg/day in some people. Higher doses will have more risk for chronic toxicity over a reasonable time period, including things like reduced immune function etc
Acute toxicity can be had with as little as 25mg/day in some people. Higher doses will have more risk for chronic toxicity over a reasonable time period, including things like reduced immune function etc
some of the articles i've read at bodybuilding.com and i think somewhere else say it's dangerous when you reach 1-2 full grams. webmd seems to corroborate this, (search for "zinc" and "toxicity"
only bothering to mention dangers reaching similar amounts. dunno if others have better info than i however 
only bothering to mention dangers reaching similar amounts. dunno if others have better info than i however I have a pretty chart somewhere, one of my old profs is a zinc fantatic (RS GIbson)
In terms of gram quantities of zinc, this would produce large effects (emesis, burning/irritaion of GI tract etc), not nice.
The other toxic effects are more subtle, compromised immune function etc, not something that you would see and feel, just slight gradients of change.
In terms of gram quantities of zinc, this would produce large effects (emesis, burning/irritaion of GI tract etc), not nice.
The other toxic effects are more subtle, compromised immune function etc, not something that you would see and feel, just slight gradients of change.
The sides effects on me were basicly a depression and non existent sex drive. I was going rather high though, around 15 mg a day. I do notice the lowered sex drive at such a low dose as 1 mg per day.[b said:Quote[/b] (tai4ji2x @ Feb. 06 2003,1:53)]melatonin wore off for me pretty quickly. useless on me now. same with valerian and kava kava.
looks like i have only zma, magnesium, and htp to try before relying on even more unnatural sleep aids. i picked up some zma at vitaminshoppe, 90 caps for $14, just to try it out. is this an outrageous price at all?
To me, the best is to rotate all of them. I take melatonin 2 or 3 X week (2 mg each time), kava for a wek or so, then valerian for another week, the magnesium supplement every other day or so and the 5-HTP mixed with the valerian usually. Well, something like that. This way they keep working.