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ZMA

Supplement mineral blend fitnesssleep
Aka: zinc magnesium aspartate, zinc monomethionine aspartate
Brands seen in Singapore: NOW Foods, ALLMAX, EVLution Nutrition, Optimum Nutrition, GAT
Third-party tested: Optimum Nutrition certifies other products with NSF Certified for Sport, but nothing for zma.Certification is granted per product, so check the tub you actually own. Not being listed is not the same as failing.
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Sold for training and sleep · trials show no benefit
When to take
30–60 minutes before bed in the trials
Take with
An empty stomach in the 8-week trial
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Serum zinc rose 11–17% over 8 weeks (not significant)
  • Some athletes' zinc and magnesium intakes fall short
Cons
  • Wilborn 2004: no gain in strength, mass or hormones
  • 2024 trial: no effect on sleep or morning lifting
  • 30 mg zinc, 450 mg magnesium exceed HSA's SG caps
Sources
  1. Wilborn et al., JISSN 2004 — ZMA supplementation and training adaptations (PMC2129161), abstract · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “ZMA supplementation non-significantly increased serum zinc levels by 11 – 17% (p = 0.12). However, no significant differences were observed between groups in anabolic or catabolic hormone status, body composition”
  2. Wilborn et al., JISSN 2004 — supplementation protocol · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Subjects ingested 4 capsules a day on an empty stomach 30–60 minutes prior to going to bed for 8-weeks according to label instructions”
  3. Wilborn et al., JISSN 2004 — description of the ZMA formula (Brilla and Conte) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “ZMA supplementation (i.e., 30 mg zinc monomethionine aspartate, 450 mg magnesium aspartate, and 10.5 mg vitamin B-6)”
  4. Gallagher et al., Nutrients 2024 — ZMA, partial sleep deprivation and weightlifting (PMC10820214), abstract · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Conclusion: Supplementation of ZMA for two nights of partial sleep deprivation had no effect on sleep or subsequent morning performance”
  5. Gallagher et al., Nutrients 2024 — supplement composition · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “ZMA capsules contained zinc: 30 mg, magnesium: 450 mg, vitamin B6: 10.5 mg”
  6. Gallagher et al., Nutrients 2024 — introduction · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “In some populations of recreational athletes', dietary consumption levels of both Zn and Mg are below the recommended daily allowance (RDA)”
  7. NIH ODS — Zinc (Health Professional), recommended intakes and Daily Value (updated 6 Jan 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “19+ years … 11 mg … 8 mg [RDA, men and women] … The DV for zinc is 11 mg for adults and children age 4 years and older”
  8. NIH ODS — Zinc (HP), excess intake and UL · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The Tolerable Upper Intake Level for zinc is 40 mg for adults, and it ranges from 4 to 34 mg for infants, children, and adolescents, depending on age”
  9. NIH ODS — Zinc (HP), excess zinc · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Doses of 50 mg of zinc or more over a period of weeks can inhibit copper absorption, reduce immune function, and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels”
  10. NIH ODS — Zinc (HP), interactions with medications · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Zinc may interact with certain medications, such as quinolone antibiotics, tetracycline antibiotics, and penicillamine. In addition, some diuretics can decrease serum zinc concentrations by increasing zinc excretion in urine”
  11. NIH ODS — Magnesium (Health Professional), recommended intakes and Daily Value (updated 6 Jan 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “These values range from 310 to 420 mg for adults … The DV for magnesium is 420 mg for adults and children age 4 years and older”
  12. NIH ODS — Magnesium (HP), supplement safety and UL · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The Tolerable Upper Intake Level for supplemental magnesium is 350 mg for adults, and it ranges from 65 to 350 mg for children and adolescents, depending on age”
  13. NIH ODS — Magnesium (HP), magnesium toxicity · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The risk of magnesium toxicity increases with impaired renal function or kidney failure because the ability to remove excess magnesium is reduced or lost”
  14. NIH ODS — Magnesium (HP), interactions with medications · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Magnesium may interact with certain medications, such as oral bisphosphonates, tetracyclines, and quinolone antibiotics. In addition, some medications, including diuretics and proton pump inhibitors, can affect magnesium status”
  15. FDA — Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels, Reference Guide (content current as of 03/05/2024) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “DVs are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day … Zinc | 11mg … Magnesium | 420mg”
  16. HSA — Health Supplements Guidelines GL-CHPB-3-001 Rev. 020 (January 2026), Table 5: Minerals Limits · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “HS for use by the general adult population should not contain vitamins and minerals exceeding the stipulated limits stated in Tables 4 and 5 … Magnesium 350 mg … Zinc 15 mg”
  17. HSA — Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in HS and TM, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev 001 (Oct 2025), Annex B rows 111 (Vitamin B6), 118 (Zinc), 65 (Magnesium) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Vitamin B6 Restricted use in HS and TM Maximum Daily Dose … should not provide more than 100mg … Zinc … not provide more than 15mg”
  18. iHerb Singapore — ZMA category page, default sort · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “ZMA Supplements | iHerb … Zinc Magnesium Aspartate 1 - 15 of 15 results”
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Updated 2026-08-30. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.