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ZMA FOR TESTOSTERONE SUPPORT
FLEX June 2005
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I've heard a lot about ZMA and its effects on
testosterone. Should I be taking it?
By Steve O'Reilly, RD, LD
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If you're like every other bodybuilder on the planet,
and you want to get
bigger and more ripped, then there are some things you
should know about testosterone. First, keeping your
testosterone elevated makes it easier to build muscle
mass. Second, testosterone
declines naturally with
age, especially after the age of 40. Obviously, the
drop in testosterone is intricately linked to a
similar decline in lean muscle mass seen in the same
demographic. The more muscle mass you’re able to build
when you are younger, the less this is likely to be a
problem as you age. As a younger bodybuilder, the more
you can support your testosterone levels, the easier
it will be to build muscle mass and maintain it. If
your testosterone is low, ZMA (zinc monomethionine,
magnesium aspartate and vitamin B6) can be
effective in helping to boost it.
Testosterone is the androgenic hormone primarily
responsible for normal growth and development of male
sex and reproductive organs, but it also facilitates
the development of male musculature, bone mass
and fat distribution. In addition, having normal
testosterone levels helps maintain energy, mood and
sexual desire. So, your concern about testosterone is
warranted.
Before supplementing with ZMA, consider your current zinc and magnesium levels.
A deficiency in either zinc or magnesium will trigger
a decline in endurance and in the strength capacity of
your muscles. In that case, supplementation would
obviously be advised.
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When zinc levels are low –
relatively common in hard-training athletes – then
circulating testosterone concentrations also tend to
be low. ZMA supplementation is a convenient way to
avoid zinc and magnesium deficiencies and, in turn, it
may help to maintain normal quantities of circulating
testosterone. However, there is little – if any –
evidence that ZMA supplementation will help raise a
healthy male’s normal level of testosterone to
above normal.
When deciding whether ZMA
supplementation is right for you, analyze your diet to
see if you are getting enough zinc and magnesium from
the foods you eat. Some common zinc-containing foods
are beef, egg yolks, fish, milk and pork. (The
recommended daily allowance, or RDA, for zinc is 15
milligrams [mg].) Some common magnesium-containing
foods are almonds, avocados, bananas, diary products
and some types of fish. (The RDA for magnesium is
approximately 400 mg.)
When you take ZMA, it will
generally help you sleep better, especially if you
have zinc or magnesium deficiencies (improved sleep
quality from ZMA supplementation is a good indication
that you should be taking it). It is typically
recommended that ZMA be taken on an empty stomach
before bedtime and without any sources of calcium,
because zinc and calcium compete for absorption. A
typical dose of ZMA contains 15-30 mg of zinc, 200-450
mg of magnesium and 10.5 mg of vitamin B6.
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