Zma

[verbatimreturned]

ok i was wondering would it be a bad idea to take zma consantly year round, becuase your body might get used to the help that it provides while your sleeping so when you eventually stop using the product you cant really sleep at all because your body is so used to using it.

[ChinPieceDave667]

the only things I've read are that prolong use of high dosages of magnesium aspartates greater than 350 milligrams daily can lead to diarrhea . and zinc can lead to nausea, vomiting and gastrointestinal discomfort. Other adverse reactions include a metallic taste, headache and drowsiness. There are some reports of decreased HDL-cholesterol in those taking high doses of zinc +30mg.
and most ZMA is
Zinc 30 MG
Magnesium 450 MG
Vitamin B6 10.5 MG
don't worry about B vitamins, they are water soluble and just get pissed out if there is too much..

also remember that you are getting these minerals and vitamins in everyday foods so it would ultimately depend on how your body uses in working out, to the amount you give it..
if you want I can post the findings.

[EricT]

I doubt it will make you dependent. It's more likely that the efficacy of ZMA in terms of sleep will decrease over time. In other words it will provide less help with sleep. You see that with other natural sleep aids like trytophan and melatonin, too.

If you have trouble sleeping and the ZMA helps, then I'd say stick with it and then if it stops helping rotate other things like trytophan, but while still taking the ZMA for it's other effects.

Incidentally, anytime you are taking a sigificant amount of extra zinc (more than 40 mg long term) it is possible it will precipitate a copper deficiency. They compete with each other both intestinally and biochemically. Copper is important for growth so it's something to think about.

The RDA ratio is supposed to be 1 to 1. That means around 2 mg copper to 15 mg zinc.

I'm not saying you should be worrying about exact ratios and interactions in everything you take. That would be ridiculous. But this is a an important one.

[verbatimreturned]

h*ly shit lol i thought i was gunna get some simple answers to that one, nice work and thanks for sharing the information. so i guess i really dont have much to worry about except for gettin a metallic taste in my mouth, which is awsome. i know this is a bit off my first question but what zma do you guy's take...ive become a pretty big fan of z-mass

[Sleazy]

I took ZMA for around 8 months straight before finally dropping it. The affects were definately more noticeable during the beginning but it consistently helped me sleep even near the end. I saw no real adverse affects when I stopped, I was still able to sleep fine but the ZMA definately helped me fall asleep faster.

[ChinPieceDave667]

bulk nutrition's zma and primaforce's zma are ones I have used and have gotten good results from.

[EricT]

Originally Posted by Sleazy

I took ZMA for around 8 months straight before finally dropping it.

If you don't mind my asking, Sleazy, any particular reason for dropping it?

[Sleazy]

I am trying out alot of new supplements lately and wanted to accurately judge what affects they had on me. I also don't have to wake up as early so I am more worn out by the time I go to bed now.

I like ZMA alot however, especially for the price.

[EricT]

Thanks, Sleazy.

I've been thinking about going back on it, myself, because I haven't been sleeping well lately. But I have other stuff that helps me sleep.

I'd rather take something that could have a anabolic effect at the same time, but when I was taking ZMA before, I think my training was largely ineffective, so I can't really judge the ZMA's effect.

Many people have had positive things to say about it, although it largely seems to center around sleep assistance.

[jappo]

ive heard that if you take some zma and a bit of casein protein before you go to bed, youll wake up feeling more energized, similar to a workout. anyone had any experience with that?