Zinc magnesium aspartate, or ZMA, is a popular supplement for fitness enthusiasts and those that have trouble sleeping. These ZMA supplements usually contain zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6, and offer a number of health benefits.
This is because ZMA supplements are alleged to help improve sleep quality, exercise performance, and muscle growth and recovery.
If you just want to know which ZMA supplement we consider the best, that would be ZMO by Transparent Labs.
It combines zinc picolinate, magnesium bisglycinate, and oyster meat powder to deliver high bio available sources of these micronutrients.
For more details and the rest of the list, continue reading below.
ZMO combines highly bioavailable forms of zinc, magnesium, and oyster meat powder for powerful testosterone and sleep support.
Discount codes:
LV10 = 10% off at Transparent Labs
Table of Contents
The Best ZMA Supplements
- ZMO – Transparent Labs
- Superhuman Sleep – Alpha Lion
- ZMA – Jym Supplements
- ZMA – True Athlete
- ZMA – Nutricost
- ZMA – Optimum Nutrition
We’ll be covering the 6 best ZMA supplements for 2023 below.
Best overall ZMA supplement: ZMO – Transparent Labs
ZMO combines highly bioavailable forms of zinc, magnesium, and oyster meat powder for powerful testosterone and sleep support.
Discount codes:
LV10 = 10% off at Transparent Labs
Zinc type: Zinc Picolinate
If you’re looking for the best ZMA supplement, then look no further than Transparent Labs’ ZMO supplement. It contains most of the ingredients that you’ll find in other ZMA supplements, but Transparent Labs’ inclusion of oyster extract kicks things up a notch.
Oyster extract makes zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6 more bioavailable, which means your body will absorb these nutrients more easily. The only real downsides are the fact that this supplement is a bit pricier than the other options on our list – and it isn’t vegan-friendly.
Key ingredients
- Magnesium Glycinate Chelate Buffered – 144 mg
- Zinc Picolinate – 10 mg
- Oyster Meat Powder – 500 mg
Best sleep aid with ZMA: Superhuman Sleep – Alpha Lion
Superhuman Sleep combines 12 ingredients to help optimize your recovery through a restful night's sleep, including ZMA. It's one stacked formula!
Discount code:
LIFTVAULT = 15% off at Nutri Cartel
Zinc type: Zinc Methionine
If you’re struggling to hit the hay in the evenings, but also want a ZMA dietary supplement, then go for Alpha Lion’s Superhuman Sleep. While it’s not specifically categorized as a ZMA supplement, it has more than enough zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6 to meet your needs.
It comes in two delicious flavors – Slaughtermelon and Tropical Terminator – so it can be a tasty way to end off your day. One of the best aspects of this sleep aid is that it also won’t leave you feeling groggy in the morning, so you’ll be able to get right back into training the next day.
Key ingredients
- Sodium Chloride – 80 mg
- Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate – 40 mg
- Zinc Methionine – 27 mg
- Potassium Citrate – 15 mg
- Pyridoxine HCL – 12 mg
- L-Glycine – 3,000 mg
- L-Tryptophan – 1,000 mg
- L-Glutamine – 2,000 mg
- Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid – 350 mg
- Mucuna Pruriens – 175 mg
- Chamomile Flower – 75 mg
- Melatonin – 2 mg
- KSM-66 Ashwagandha – 200 mg
- L-Theanine – 200 mg
- AstraGin – 50 mg
Best ZMA with BioPerine: ZMA – JYM Supplements
Zinc types: Zinc Aspartate, Zinc Monomethionine, Zinc Oxide
JYM Supplements have added a slightly spicy twist to the standard ZMA formula by including BioPerine. A few studies suggest that BioPerine can improve nutrient absorption, so you can expect to benefit even more from this advanced ZMA supplement.
JYM Supplements’ ZMA offering is specifically designed to improve sleep quality and help with muscle recovery. So, it provides enough zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6 to do just that.
Key ingredients
- Pyridoxine HCL – 10.5 mg
- Magnesium Aspartate & Magnesium Oxide – 450 mg
- Zinc – 30 mg
- BioPerine – 5 mg
Best ZMA with Theanine: ZMA – True Athlete
Zinc types: Zinc Aspartate, Zinc Monomethionine
The combination of zinc and magnesium in ZMA supplements is said to help you relax and improve sleep quality, and theanine enhances this benefit further. True Athlete’s supplement contains all of these ingredients, so it is almost guaranteed to help you relax and get a good night’s rest after an intense workout.
True Athlete takes a no-nonsense approach to its ZMA supplements, which is why its offering only contains zinc, magnesium, vitamin B6, and theanine. It also comes in capsules, so if you aren’t a fan of drinking dietary supplements, it’s the perfect choice.
Key ingredients
- Pyridoxine HCL – 10.5 mg
- Magnesium – 450 mg
- Zinc – 30 mg
- Theanine – 50 mg
Best budget ZMA: ZMA – Nutricost
Zinc types: Zinc Aspartate, Zinc Monomethionine, Zinc Oxide
If you want to sleep well and recover faster from intense workouts, but don’t have a lot to spend on a ZMA supplement, this might be the solution.
Nutricost’s supplement is cheaper than many other supplements on our list. Despite this, it still contains all the right ingredients in all the right doses, making it the best ZMA supplement if you’re on a budget.
Key ingredients
- Pyridoxine HCL – 10.5 mg
- Magnesium Aspartate & Magnesium Oxide – 450 mg
- Zinc – 30 mg
Honorable mention: ZMA – Optimum Nutrition
Zinc types: Zinc Aspartate, Zinc Monomethionine, Zinc Oxide
Despite only being an honorable mention, this Optimum Nutrition ZMA supplement is still great. It has decent amounts of zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6, but also contains gelatin.
This means it won’t be suitable for vegans, and, unfortunately, it is a little bit expensive for what you get. But, it is still an option you should consider if you’re looking for ZMA supplements.
Key ingredients
- Pyridoxine HCL – 10 mg
- Magnesium Aspartate & Magnesium Oxide – 435 mg
- Zinc – 28 mg
Other ingredients
- Gelatin
- Microcrystalline Cellulose
- Magnesium Stearate
What to Look for When Buying ZMA
As you can imagine, there is a plethora of different ZMA supplements on the market. However, not all of them will be the best ZMA supplements for you and your needs, so there are a few things you should keep in mind before you make a purchase.
Contains at least 10 mg of elemental zinc
Elemental zinc is the type of zinc that you find in food products, and a good ZMA supplement should contain at least 10 mg per serving. If a supplement contains less zinc than this per serving, you won’t really be getting the benefits that the mineral offers.
In fact, most of the products listed above provide around 30 mg of zinc per serving, apart from Transparent Labs’ ZMO supplement.
Contains preferable zinc types
It isn’t enough for ZMA supplements to just have zinc as one of their ingredients. They also need to include the right types of zinc. The best types of zinc are:
- Zinc Picolinate is highly bioavailable and is one of the most easily absorbed types of zinc.
- Zinc Citrate is also absorbed by the body well and is a lot less likely to cause stomach issues when compared to other types of zinc.
- Zinc Acetate provides a lot of zinc in relatively small doses, but isn’t absorbed as well as other forms of zinc.
- Zinc Gluconate is tolerated by the stomach well, and is great for supporting the immune system.
- Zinc Monomethionine is also easy on the stomach and absorbed well by the body.
Purchase from a reputable brand
If you want a ZMA supplement that is going to work for you, it’s best to purchase it from a reputable brand. You’ll usually need to pay a bit more for ZMA supplements that come from respected brands, but it will be worth the money.
When you purchase from a reputable brand, you will know you are getting quality, as they often only include ingredients that are necessary. While you might save some money by buying ZMA supplements from lesser-known brands, you might not get the best results.
Read reviews
If you want to find out how good any supplement is, you should read reviews to find out what other consumers are saying about it. Consumers that have actually used a supplement will be able to tell you how effective it is and whether it worked for them or not.
Third-party testing
Some supplement companies, like Transparent Labs, engage in third-party testing. This means that their products are tested by an unbiased third party to verify they include all of the ingredients listed on their labels.
This also lets consumers know that these companies don’t include unnecessary or harmful ingredients in their supplements.
Benefits of ZMA Supplementation
Improved sleep quality
There is some evidence to support the theory that ZMA supplements can improve the quality of your sleep. This is due to the magnesium found in these dietary supplements, which helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, causing you to feel physically relaxed.
One study took 43 adults that suffered from insomnia and gave them a mixture of zinc, magnesium, and melatonin, or a placebo for eight weeks. At the end of the study, the subjects who took the dietary supplement noted that they fell asleep faster, and enjoyed better sleep quality compared to those who took the placebo.
Enhanced muscle recovery and growth
There is limited evidence that shows that ZMA supplements can enhance muscle growth and recovery. This is because zinc and magnesium are both involved in protein synthesis and muscle function.
One eight-week study conducted on 27 football players showed that taking a ZMA supplement daily increased their muscle strength, and functional power significantly. However, there isn’t all that much other evidence to go off of, and more research is needed to support the theory.
Boosted immune function
There is evidence to suggest that ZMA supplements can support a healthy immune system. Zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6 all have important functions in the immune system.
Zinc aids the development and function of many cells in the immune system. There have been many studies to suggest that zinc can aid in both wound healing and reduce your chance of getting infections.
Vitamin B6 helps to produce white blood cells that fight bacteria and stave off infection. Vitamin B6 deficiencies are often linked to poor immunity.
Finally, magnesium can also help support a healthy immune system. There have been numerous studies to suggest that magnesium can reduce inflammation.
Increased testosterone levels
There is some data to suggest that ZMA supplements increase testosterone levels. However, there is also evidence that suggests it has no effect on testosterone levels at all.
There have been studies that have shown that both zinc and magnesium individually can increase testosterone levels, but there isn’t much evidence to support the fact that they are more beneficial when combined.
Another study took 42 men and gave them a ZMA supplement daily for eight weeks. At the end of the study, there was no notable difference in their testosterone levels.
Improved exercise performance
Many ZMA supplements claim to improve exercise performance, and there is actually some evidence to support this. The same study that showed that ZMA had no effect on testosterone levels suggested that these same subjects did experience some improvements in their exercise performance.
This is because some evidence was found to suggest that ZMA may help improve anabolic hormone levels. However, there isn’t a lot of research to support this.
FAQs about ZMA
It is typically best to take ZMA at night on an empty stomach. This is because ZMA can make you feel drowsy, so it isn’t great to take it during the day. You should also take ZMA on an empty stomach because other foods and supplements can reduce ZMA absorption in the blood.
Magnesium, a vital component of ZMA, is known to reduce stress. However, some studies have found that when vitamin B6 and magnesium are combined they can reduce stress even more effectively.
You should avoid taking calcium supplements or drinking or eating any foods high in calcium before taking ZMA. This is because the calcium will compete with the zinc in your system for absorption.
You’re unlikely to experience negative side effects from taking ZMA. However, you should consult a doctor before taking ZMA if you are taking other medications or have existing health conditions.
Zinc interacts with some antibiotics, and magnesium can have an effect on medications for blood pressure and diabetes. Vitamin B6 also interacts with many other drugs like Prozac, aspirin, and ibuprofen.
Yes, ZMA and creatine both offer great benefits and can work well together if you exercise regularly.
You can eat one hour after taking ZMA in the evenings; just try to avoid eating or drinking anything containing large amounts of calcium.
