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2007/01/09, 05:55 PM
Hello everyone.
I thought that since this is my area of expertise, I would start a weekly post with a supplement of the week as you may call it. This isnt necessarily a supplement all the time, but could be a nutrient found naturally in food that may be either beneficial or just hype sold at your local GNC. I felt this would help educate everyone that maybe is unfamiliar in the product, and also bring more knowledge to those who already use or already know something about that specific product. I will be including the components, known uses and benefits, theoretical benefits -if any, cost per serving per day on average, and whether it is a worthy product or not.
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2007/01/09, 05:55 PM
The first product I will be doing this on is Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate and Magnesium Aspartate, more commonly know as ZMA.
First off, what is ZMA, and where does it come from?
ZMA is a designed anabolic mineral formula. Its primary ingredient is its name- (Z)inc Monomethionine Aspartate, and (M)agnesium (A)spartate, and it usually also contains vitamin B-6. This product is an all natural product that has been proven in some tests, yet not all, to significantly increase anabolic hormone levels and muscle strength in trained athletes.
What does this product do? I will start off with the scientific explanations before I go into the theoretical explanations that are done by studies. You will see why I state theoretical.
First off is Zinc. Zinc is an anabolic mineral required for the production of growth hormone and testosterone, which promote healing and growth. In addition, zinc helps improve energy by minimizing the build-up of lactic acid in muscle tissue. Zinc is also necessary for the maintenance of a healthy immune system.
Now Magnesium. Magnesium aids in the transport of oxygen to muscle tissue, which promotes strength, endurance and relaxation. Magnesium also activates enzymes necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates and amino acids.
Now for the studies.
There is scientific evidence supportive of ZMA, however please note that the evidence that is supportive was done in studies FUNDED by SNAC, whom holds the patent for ZMA. These studies show that supplementing with 30 mg of Zinc and 450 mg of Magnesium per day can elevate testosterone levels up to 30%.
Here is one of the most talked about studys:
The most talked about study is the following. Lorrie Brilla, PhD, a sports performance researcher at Western Washington University, recently reported that ZMA significantly increase free testosterone levels and muscle strength in NCAA football players. These ZMA study results were presented by Dr. Brilla on June 2, 1999, at the 46th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Seattle, WA, and were published in the official ACSM journal, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Vol. 31, No. 5, May 1999.
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2007/01/09, 05:55 PM
Specifically, Brilla reported that a group of competitive NCAA football players who took ZMA nightly during an eight-week spring training program had 2.5 times greater muscle strength gains than a placebo group. (250% better results!) Pre and post leg strength measurements were made using a Biodex isokinetic dynamometer. The strength of the ZMA group increased by 11.6% compared to only a 4.6% increase in the placebo group.
Basically, this means that if you went up 10 pounds on your bench press in eight weeks without ZMA, you WOULD have went up 25 pounds in that same period if you had been taking ZMA.
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2007/01/09, 05:56 PM
Brilla further explained, The muscle strength increases may have been mediated by the anabolic hormone increases in the ZMA group. The ZMA group had 30% increases in free and total testosterone levels compared to 10 percent decreases in the placebo group... The ZMA group also had a slight increase in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels compared to a 20 percent decrease in the placebo group. This study shows that anabolic hormone and muscle strength increases can be induced in already strength-trained athletes by using a novel zinc-magnesium preparation."
Another study was performed in 2004, which is the most recent known study to date. This study shows no affect on strength nor hormone levels, and this study was performed by a non affiliated party vs. the patent holder. This newer study indicates that further studies are needed to support the claims mentioned above.
One of the other benefits of ZMA is a more deeper sleep, which is caused by the natural effects of the Zinc and Magnesium.
Who needs it and how do you know if you are deficient?
Any person looking for a better sleep and recovery from a workout could use this product. All known studies show that most people are deficient in zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B-6. Therefore due these benefits I would actually recommend this product to everyone.
Dosage and Known side effects? Most ZMA includes 11 mg of B-6, 450 mg of Magnesium, and 30 mg of Zinc. Since the product is all natural, and something that your body needs already, there are no known side effects.
The typical price for this product on the median is $12.50 for 90 capsules. It is recommended men take 3 capsules a day, and women 2. Therefore the average price per day is 41 cents for men, and 28 cents for women.
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2007/01/09, 05:56 PM
My recommendation is that this product is beneficial to everyone everywhere, regardless of your goals.
If anyone has any further comments they would like to post, go ahead! If you have any stories about your use, or just more questions, feel free to ask and I will answer.
Lastly, if anyone would like to recommend next weeks supplement of the week post those as well, I will be making a decision tomorrow (since it takes me about a week to type all this and prepare it in a readable format).
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2007/01/09, 06:01 PM
Also if you guys don't like this information and don't really feel the need for all this let me know and I won't do it :) I just doing it to help clarify things for people and help people out. :dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell:
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2007/01/09, 08:06 PM
hmmm..this has my attention...
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2007/01/10, 01:58 AM
Hhhmmmm....I think you should look very closely at the study you quote. Brilla....guess who backed this study? Victor Conte', remember him? Balco? He was marketing his 'clear' as ZMA. This is a bogus study...beware what you read out there. Having a field of 'expertise' like this can be well..... :)
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"If it ain't broke, you aren't trying."
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2007/01/10, 02:01 AM
ZMA is all about sleep. This is not a bad thing, as quality sleep is of course important. What it can do is enhance the 'quality' of your sleep even when you don't get enough.
Zinc by default(and only if you are deficient or older) can help test levels by helping with E levels.
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"If it ain't broke, you aren't trying."
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2007/01/10, 10:39 AM
The study you mentioned bb1 is correct. That is why I put these comments----
:dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell:
There is scientific evidence supportive of ZMA, however please note that the evidence that is supportive was done in studies FUNDED by SNAC, whom holds the patent for ZMA.
Another study was performed in 2004, which is the most recent known study to date. This study shows no affect on strength nor hormone levels, and this study was performed by a non affiliated party vs. the patent holder. This newer study indicates that further studies are needed to support the claims mentioned above.
:dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell:
I personally think its a bunch of hype as well. But I try not to be biased so I put both of the sides of the story in it, and then put in my opinion at the end. ZMA is beneficial to all in my opinion strictly due to the fact that nearly everyone has diets that are deficient in Zinc and Magnesium, both of which are beneficial items.
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2007/01/10, 10:40 AM
You also put the same reason about ZMA as why I recommended :)
:dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell:
Any person looking for a better sleep and recovery from a workout could use this product. All known studies show that most people are deficient in zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B-6. Therefore due these benefits I would actually recommend this product to everyone.
:dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell::dumbbell:
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2007/01/10, 11:12 AM
ZMA does nothing about testosterone.
To even post that study as credible in any form is not very credible. :)
Zinc however works by this mechanism.....it can help control E levels. So by defualt, this should help T levels. But, be aware that this is only in deficient or elderly men.
Manesium in and of itself is probably the most overlooked mineral out there. Muscle weakness, a host of problems can be attributed to lack of magnesium such as it activates enzymes, contributes to energy production, and helps regulate calcium levels .
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"If it ain't broke, you aren't trying."
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2007/01/10, 11:19 AM
If your going to use ZMA as a suppliment to aid in sleep, how often should one take it. Daily or just during times of sleep deprevation (which in my case would be daily anyways:() Could you recommend a specific amount to take?
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2007/01/10, 11:21 AM
Daily...it does work for sleep. May have some nice vivid dreams. Another option is Gabba...works well for many in much the same mechanism(but it is an amino acid without going further into explanation).
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"If it ain't broke, you aren't trying."
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2007/01/10, 11:22 AM
And before bed....and the dose is normally a 10:1 ratio magnesium to zinc with B6 used primarily as it helps insure 'uptake'.
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"If it ain't broke, you aren't trying."
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2007/01/10, 11:23 AM
Any dosage recommendations, or are the brands of ZMA pretty standard as far as dosages go? Never heard of Gabba..will keep an eye out for it.
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2007/01/10, 11:23 AM
you must have read my mind and posted at the same time. Thanks!
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2007/01/10, 11:38 AM
ZMA is pretty standard stuff. Just about any brand will do.
Gaba is a pretty neat AA. If you use it you could experience a type of 'pins and needles' feeling for a few minutes, but this is nothing to be alarmed about. It is purported to help with growth hormone.
A bit on Gaba....the name is Gamma Aminobutyric Acid, and it is an amino acid classified as a neurotransmitter (A neurotransmitter is a substance that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse. A synapse is a region where nerve impulses are transmitted across axon terminals.)
Gaba supposedly has a high concentration in the hypothalamus so will increase this...this suggests this amino acid plays a significant role in hypothalamic-pituitary function. The hypothalamus is a region of the posterior section of the brain and is the regulating center for visceral (instinctive) functions such as sleep cycles, body temperature, and the activity of the pituitary gland.
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"If it ain't broke, you aren't trying."
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2007/01/10, 04:51 PM
after i read this post ..i remembered seeing the other thread in another message board here....so after careful reading i figured it out :D...but ty for clarifying bb cause i wanted to be sure i understood everything since the threads contradicted..
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2007/01/10, 06:33 PM
I am not stating the study as credible or non credible. I am simply showing it so people can see both sides of the picture. If you didn't show both sides of the argument, that would make it biased and therefore incomplete. That is why I made sure I stated who did the study and what relationship to the producers they had.
In all accounts I still agree with you bb1. And Gaba is a great product as well.
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