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Supplements/Mineral

Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA)

Zinc + magnesium + B6 for recovery.

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Overview

Zinc + magnesium + B6 for recovery.

Natural sources
  • Whole foods (leafy greens, legumes, nuts, seeds, seafood, animal proteins)
  • Fortified foods such as cereals, breads, plant milks, and table salt
  • Mineral supplements as chelates, citrates, glycinates, or inorganic salts
Common forms
  • Chelated form (glycinate, bisglycinate, citrate, malate)
  • Inorganic salt (oxide, sulfate, chloride)
  • Liquid ionic solution
  • Topical or transdermal preparation

Mechanism of action

Replenishes athlete deficiencies.

Pathways
  • · Replenishes athlete deficiencies

Effects on the body

Supports
sleep

Organ system effects

Brain & CNS

Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) promotes parasympathetic tone, GABAergic signaling, or melatonergic pathways that facilitate sleep onset and quality.

Reproductive

Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) influences androgen signaling, prostate health, or male reproductive function.

Evidence-based benefits

Improves sleep

Moderate evidence

Potential side effects

Common
  • · GI upset
Rare
    Serious

      Drug interactions

      Prescription medications (general)
      Always disclose Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) use to your prescriber — additive, antagonistic, or pharmacokinetic interactions are possible.
      minor

      Safety & non-supplemental interactions

      Educational summary — always confirm with your clinician or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or combining with prescription therapy.

      Avoid / monitor with these medications
      • ·Alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, sedating antihistamines (additive CNS depression)

      Supplement interactions

      Pairs well with
      • Magnesium glycinate
        Complementary GABAergic calming and improved sleep architecture.
      • L-theanine
        Reduces sleep latency without sedation.
      Avoid combining with

      No specific avoidances listed.

      Dosing & bioavailability

      Typical dose
      30 mg zinc + 450 mg Mg
      Best form
      Most evidence is based on the chelated form (glycinate, bisglycinate, citrate, malate) form.
      Timing
      Consistent daily timing recommended; split larger doses if GI tolerance is a concern.
      With food?
      Either with or without food.

      Where to buy

      Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Amazon code supplementsch-20 is auto-applied at checkout. We don't endorse specific brands; verify third-party testing (USP, NSF, Informed Sport) before purchase.

      Scientific evidence8Show studies
      RCTJ Int Soc Sports Nutr · 2004

      ZMA testosterone

      Wilborn CD, et al.

      42 men

      Key findings

      No advantage over placebo.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) — Improves sleep

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) Improves sleep" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) and "Improves sleep". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) — randomized controlled trial

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) randomized controlled trial" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) and "randomized controlled trial". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) — meta-analysis

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) meta-analysis" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) and "meta-analysis". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) — pharmacokinetics

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) pharmacokinetics" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) and "pharmacokinetics". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) — safety adverse events

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) safety adverse events" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) and "safety adverse events". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) — dose response

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) dose response" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) and "dose response". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewGoogle Scholar · 1970

      Google Scholar: Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) — clinical evidence

      Live Scholar search

      Cross-database citation index for Zinc Monomethionine (ZMA) as it relates to "clinical evidence".

      Key findings

      Includes preprints, theses, and journal articles. Useful for tracking citation counts and follow-on work.

      Open study
      Educational use only. This profile is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement, especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic condition.

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