Posted by Kyle Williams in Health / Nutrition
Estimated reading time: 2mins
When taken daily, ZMA has been shown to bolster health, increase immunity and improve sleep. For anyone who trains hard, these three key factors are vital for effective recovery and achieving results.
Zinc is an essential mineral with powerful antioxidant properties that stimulate the activity of many enzymes in the body. As an antioxidant, it will enhance your health and support a strong immune system, including reducing the incidence of colds and flu.
Zinc also has an important role to play in muscle-building, with zinc being a key enzyme stimulator of muscle protein synthesis (arguably the most important factor in building lean muscle). Zinc supplementation has also been shown to improve resting and post-exercise testosterone levels, which again is an important factor in building muscle.
Like Zinc, Magnesium is also an essential mineral involved in over 300 key chemical reactions within the body. Magnesium also plays an important role in the health of the cardiovascular system, metabolic rate and bone health. Anecdotally, Magnesium is also consistently reported as improving sleep quality.
When you exercise, you tend to lose a lot of Zinc and Magnesium through sweat, particularly in hot climates. With research showing most athletes are deficient in Zinc and Magnesium, Bulk Nutrients ZMA is vital for performance and health benefits.
Bulk Nutrients ZMA comes in either powder or capsule form. I personally prefer the capsules as it is convenient for travel and each capsule gives an exact dose.
ZMA works best taken as a single dose just before bed.
To maximise absorption and its intended effects, it is recommended to take ZMA on an empty stomach and not with food.