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ZMA is certainly one of the popular dietary supplements that are eagerly used by strength training enthusiasts to improve post-exercise recovery, including improving sleep quality and supporting muscle mass building by stimulating the secretion of anabolic hormones such as testosterone, growth hormone or IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1). The ZMA preparation contains a combination of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 in appropriate amounts, the idea of which was conceived by a certain Victor Conte, owner of the American company Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO), who has also been involved in the distribution of prohibited doping agents among athletes.
The aforementioned Victor Conte conducted a study in 2000 involving football players, the results of which indicate that as a result of taking the ZMA supplement, the level of zinc and magnesium in the plasma of the tested athletes was significantly higher, which also resulted in increased testosterone and IGF-1 concentrations compared to the placebo group. Moreover, in the athletes supplementing ZMA, an increase in the strength of the lower body muscles was also observed 1 . Four years later, in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, the results of a study designed in an identical way were published, which, however, did not confirm the effectiveness of the ZMA preparation in the case of men regularly training for strength, because they did not observe any significant changes in the concentration of zinc and magnesium in the blood plasma, nor in the tested hormones: testosterone, growth hormone, IGF-1, cortisol, as well as an increase in strength, muscle mass and anaerobic capacity assessed during the ergometer test compared to the second group receiving placebo 2 . In another study involving regularly exercising young men, it was found that ZMA supplementation significantly increased the concentration of zinc in blood plasma and its excretion in urine, but the level of total and free testosterone in the study participants did not change, nor did the amount of hormone metabolites 3 .
ZMA in the Activlab offer:
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ZMA supplementation
There is no doubt that both zinc and magnesium are very important minerals in the diet of physically active people, which should be continuously supplied through food in appropriate amounts , allowing to meet the increased demand of the body resulting from consistent sports. In the case of zinc and/or magnesium deficiency confirmed by appropriate diagnostic tests, supplementation of the mentioned elements can be a very helpful solution, however, in other situations there is currently little scientific evidence supporting the validity of using ZMA, which is why the Australian Institute of Sport classifies zinc/magnesium aspartate in category C, i.e. dietary supplements for which there is no significant evidence of beneficial effects 4 .
Literature:
- Brilla LR, Conte V.: Effects of a novel zinc-magnesium formulation on hormones and strength. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online. 2000;3(4):26–36. https://www.asep.org/asep/asep/BrillaV2.PDF
- Wilborn CD, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al.: Effects of Zinc Magnesium Aspartate (ZMA) Supplementation on Training Adaptations and Markers of Anabolism and Catabolism. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2004;1(2):12-20. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129161/
- Koehler K., Parr MK, Geyer H. et al.: Serum testosterone and urinary excretion of steroid hormone metabolites after administration of a high-dose zinc supplement. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009;63(1):65-70. https://www.nature.com/articles/1602899
- Mason BC, Lavallee ME: Emerging supplements in sports. Sports Health. 2012 Mar;4(2):142-6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435905/
Mateusz Durbas
Clinical and sports dietitian, author of numerous articles on nutrition and supplementation.
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