ZMA (supplement)
ZMA (zinc monomethionine aspartate, magnesium aspartate and vitamin B6) is a supplement used primarily by athletes, gymnasts, and bodybuilders. It was developed by Victor Conte (founder of BALCO Laboratories in Burlingame, California). No high-quality scientific study has found it to have any beneficial effects on muscle building or strength, and the International Society of Sports Nutrition and the Australian Institute of Sport regard it as having no clear benefits. Formula. The original ZMA formula is composed of zinc monomethionine aspartate (30 mg), magnesium aspartate (450 mg), and vitamin B as pyridoxine hydrochloride (10.5 mg). According to the  label directions, ZMA should be taken 30 – 60 minutes before bedtime with an empty stomach to help synchronize absorption with sleep. Also, the product should not be taken with foods or supplements containing calcium because calcium blocks the absorption of zinc. Since ZMA is not a patented formula, other manufacturers can produce supplements using the original ZMA formula. However, as ZMA is a registered trademark of SNAC Nutrition (SNAC Systems Inc.), other manufacturers can only brand a product as ZMA, or use the term in marketing, when they have been licensed to do so by SNAC Nutrition. Many manufacturers take  the original ZMA formula and seek to enhance it with added ingredients. SNAC Nutrition itself has ZMA-5 (ZMA formula with 5-Hydroxytryptophan) marketed as a sleep enhancer and ZMA Nightcap (ZMA-based proprietary blend with 5-hydroxytryptophan) marketed as anabolic mineral support. Like all 5-HTP-containing supplements, vivid dreams and/or nightmares are a recognized possible side effect within a subset of users. Scientific studies. All three basic components in ZMA formula are important in biological processes, and while studies have shown that most Americans get enough zinc and vitamin B, more than 50% don't meet the U.S. government 's recommendation for magnesium. A 1998 study was undertaken on NCAA football players during an 8-week spring training program. The control group was told to cease taking any nutritional supplements. Those who took the ZMA tablets claimed greater increases in muscle strength. This study was funded by SNAC Systems Inc, the intellectual property right holder, and one of the study's authors, Victor Conte, has ownership equity in this company. In 2004, a study funded by a research grant from Cytodyne (another supplement producing company) with 42 resistance-trained males showed that ZMA supplementation had no significant effects on  total and free testosterone, IGF-1, growth hormone, cortisol, the ratio of cortisol to testosterone, or muscle and liver enzymes in response to training. No significant effects were observed in changes in strength, upper or lower body muscle endurance, or anaerobic sprint capacity. In another study done in 2006, a team of German scientists conducted a study on the effect of ZMA and testosterone levels in the body. The result showed an increase in zinc secretions in urine making it much darker, but no effect on the level of testosterone in the body.