ZMA

(3 customer reviews)

About

PrimaForce ZMA is multivitamin supplement from the PrimaForce brand. It is formulated to help increase testosterone and “promote muscle mass and strength”.

The product comprises three ingredients: zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 – all of which are considered to be essential nutrients. This blend of ingredients is said to boost testosterone, raise the metabolism and support fat loss.

Zinc is thought to promote cell formation and protein synthesis, while magnesium could support recovery after exercise – it’s  also been said to improve sleep quality. As B-vitamin, B6 is said to play a vital role in the body’s ability to produce energy and grow muscle.

PrimaForce ZMA is made in a GMP-compliant facility.

Reviews

3 reviews for ZMA

  1. bctuthill

    Next to protein and creatine, this is the next staple that should be in the rotation of any serious athlete… or anyone

    —-Introduction—-
    ZMA is not unique to O.N.– there are many companies that make this potent mix of Zinc, Magnesium, and B6. To some that may be obvious, but I know many people who have never heard of this. Including myself until relatively recently. Zinc and Magnesium are the important things in this compound and since the brand manufacturing only matters as much as their manufacturing practices, I want to provide an overview of why. To explain the need for magnesium you really need to start at the cellular level. ATP is the main energy source for our cells–it’s what makes everything run. Without ATP you’d simply drop dead, and ATP must be bound to a magnesium ion to become biologically active. Very few of us get as much Magnesium as we should. A diet rich in Magnesium will include dark leafy vegetables, avocados, bananas, as well as things like oysters or walnuts which are loaded with it. Unfortunately, there are many things that cause magnesium to be excreted from our bodies, or rendered unavailable. Things like carbonated beverages, pastries and sweets, caffeine, and alcohol all negatively impact magnesium levels. If you eat well, chances are you already get a good amount of magnesium Zinc meanwhile is a huge component of our immune systems. It plays a part in cellular division, cell growth, healing wounds, and is even involved in the senses of smell and taste. Without Zinc you would find yourself becoming sick very easily, and very slow to recover. When you consider that the act of lifting weights involves the tearing of muscle fibers that are then repaired stronger, thicker, and more malleable, it’s not hard to imagine why this would be important. Bringing it altogether, ZMA has some scientific studies that back it’s efficacy. Plug ZMA into Wikipedia and you’ll quickly find the most commonly cited study of ZMA conducted at Western Washington University where they studied 12 football players who took ZMA nightly for 8-weeks during spring training, along with a control group that took a placebo. The athletes taking the ZMA had strength gains 2.5x greater than the placebo group, and had a 30% increase in testosterone levels compared to 10% in the placebo group. The asterisk on this study is that one of the scientists conducting the study holds the registered trademark for ZMA’s original formula and funded the research. It’s a BIG asterisk, and also a small study size, but the logic behind the effects of the compound is enough to make me want to try it all studies aside.
    —-Ingredient Profile—-
    In O.N.’s blend you get: 10.5mg B6 450mg Magnesium 30mg Zinc per serving For comparison, that’s amount of magnesium found in about 3.5 cups of ground walnuts, or 39 medium-sized oysters– two of the most potent natural sources.
    —-Taste/Mixability/Dosing—-
    3 white pills, taken at night.
    —-Effectiveness—-
    This does seem to help me sleep, and my recovery time is much better. I do feel a little bit of grogginess some mornings, but I noticed that’s more common when I take it immediately before bed. If I take it 30 minutes or so prior to heading to bed I’m fine. It’s not going to knock you out by any means. It just seems to relax you. Recovery times are good while taking it too. I feel good and rarely am sore for more than a day, even after the heaviest lifts. I never have days where I worry about stairs after legs day or that sort of thing. The biggest effect is the improved immune response. I just don’t seem to get sick. I don’t drink much anymore, but if I have a few beers I noticed diminishing effects, that’s the only thing to keep in mind– it will drain your zinc. Otherwise, if I get the slightest symptom towards the end of the day, it’s gone by morning.
    —-Value—-
    Incredible. On Amazon ON’s ZMA costs $16.87 for 60 servings. $8/month is in almost anyone’s budget.
    —-Side Effects—-
    A little grogginess in the morning. Easy to shake off though.
    —-Conclusion—-
    I honestly think that ZMA is something everyone should take, regardless of whether or not they’re even training. There are just so many benefits of zinc and magnesium for the general population, and even more for athletes. I don’t really buy into the claims of this being responsible for boosting testosterone by any means, but for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and strong immune system it’s a no brainer even before the price. Other manufacturers are similarly priced as well.

  2. andrew17019

    Another solid optimum product

    After a stressful day or drinking too much caffeine or PWO I often have trouble getting a good full night of sleep. ZMA in some form has always been my first go-to, along with melatonin to knock me out and get the recovery I need.
    —-Ingredient Profile—-
    ZMA is Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin B6. This is a standard formula, dosage for this Optimum product is: Zinc: 30 mg Magnesium: 450 mg B6: 10.5 mg This is roughly the same ratio as many other ZMA products, although some have B6 slightly higher, and some have B6 as folic acid as well. I prefer the simpler formula from Optimum, since their no-frills minimum filler style is what I value about most of their products.
    —-Taste/Mixability/Dosing—-
    3 capsules of medium size. Not massive, no aftertaste, easily washed down in a single swallow. I purchase the 180 capsule bottle to last me two months, give or take. I find that my tolerance for ZMA increases every few weeks, so I typically don’t use it during the weekends to prevent building up too high a tolerance.
    —-Effectiveness—-
    I’ve taken other ZMA blends before that put me into good REM sleep, but had me waking up multiple times during the night and waking up groggy. This bare-bones mix puts me into deep sleep and I definitely have better recovery due to the better sleep, without waking up multiple times or waking up in a funk. Using this product regularly has helped me build mass and decreases my recovery times. It also helps after a break in lifting to decrease DOMS when starting back up. If I ever take more than a few weeks off of lifting I incorporate ZMA immediately into my regimen to lessen soreness when I start back up. This has worked for me every time. I dont find that ZMA causes a significant test boost, although REM sleep can help with that. I’d recommend a dedicated test booster in addition to ZMA if you are looking for test. I find that this ZMA doesn’t make me immediately sleepy, but once I fall asleep I will be in deep REM until my alarm goes off in the morning. If you have trouble staying asleep, this is a good option for you.
    —-Value—-
    This runs for $20 online for the 180 count bottle. While this isn’t bad at all, if you are looking for JUST a sleep aid, melatonin costs less than half. If you are looking for increased recovery and better REM sleep, then ZMA fits the bill. I’ve found off brand for a little cheaper, but I trust ON enough to pay a few dollars more.
    —-Side Effects—-
    This is one of the few ZMA products I’ve tried that didn’t leave me with any noticeable side effects. Other blends I’ve used either caused me to sweat, wake up throughout the night, have nightmares or disturbing dreams, or experience heavy grogginess for the first few hours after waking up. Optimum’s ZMA doesn’t cause any of those effects for me, making it easily my ZMA of choice.
    —-Conclusion—-
    Optimum has a lot of solid products, and this ZMA is no different. I recommend taking melatonin to fall asleep and ZMA to stay asleep and get that good recovery REM. Because this ZMA doesn’t give me any weird side effects I’d definitely recommend it over many of the other proprietary blends sleep/recovery products that are on the market.

  3. MMAFreak

    To “Z” Or Not To “Z”

    —-Introduction—-
    Big thanks to SR.com for providing a bottle of Primaforce ZMA for me to review. I’m no stranger to ZMA as it has been a staple supplement of mine for a long time now. I haven’t ever tried this particular brand until now and I wasn’t disappointed with the quality of the product compared to other brands I’ve used in the past. There is no shortage of articles and studies conducted on ZMA but the community seems to be divided on the efficacy. Some will swear by it and others maintain it is a waste of money. Probably can’t count out biodiversity as a factor but for me it just works.
    —-Ingredient Profile—-
    So pretty much any ZMA supplement is going to have three main components. Zinc (as monomethionine and aspartate), Magnesium (as aspartate), and Vitamin B6. Primaforce ZMA contains the following amounts of each. Serving Size – 3 Capsules (2 for women) Amount Per Serving Zinc – 30mg Magnesium – 450mg Vitamin B6 – 10.5mg Rarely will you ever see a deviation from these amounts in a ZMA supplement. —-Dosing—- Dosing is simple enough. For guys you’re going to take 3 capsules 30-60 minutes before bed and for girls take 2 capsules. The only caveat is that you’re not really going to see the full effects unless you take ZMA on an empty stomach. So if you are a night time eater then you may have to do some adjusting to your habits. I would usually take them around 8:00pm on an empty stomach and then have my bedtime snack around 9:00pm after it had a chance to absorb. By 9:30 I’m usually sleeping like a baby.
    —-Effectiveness—-
    So what are the benefits to taking ZMA? Well for starters it has been shown to promote deeper and more restful sleep. Anyone who trains should be aware that proper sleep is vital to recovery. But there are other benefits to ZMA as well. Zinc and Magnesium both play vital roles in the human body. I’m not going to sit here and regurgitate a bunch of Google wisdom but I would encourage you to read up on the roles that they play. As I already stated I see a profound difference in my sleep patterns when taking ZMA versus nights where I skip taking it for one reason or another. To me the enhanced sleep is bar none the biggest benefit to taking ZMA. I track my sleep quality with an app called “Sleep Cycle” and the quality of my sleep is consistently better with ZMA versus nothing at all. If you’re anything like me your mind starts racing when you lay in bed at night and ZMA helps get me to sleep faster as well. So more sleep and better sleep is a winning combination.
    —-Value—-
    Did I mention that not only is ZMA effective but it is also cheap? You can go on Amazon and get 180 capsules delivered for $16 if you’re a Prime member. So $8 a month to sleep better? Sounds like a good deal to me. Cut out one meal per month where you eat at a restaurant and you have plenty left over to add ZMA to your arsenal.
    —-Side Effects—-
    The only downside to ZMA is you can at times have some really messed up dreams. And I do mean REALLY messed up. On rare occasions I have had dreams so disturbing and vivid that it forced me out of bed and I found myself up for the next hour or two. However this is very rare and frankly you can have nightmares taking nothing. So I’m not going to harp on a rare occurrence when 99% of the time it is highly beneficial. But figured I would put this out there as a possible side effect.
    —-Conclusion—-
    It’s cheap and effective. What more do you really want in a supplement?

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