ZMA (Zinc Magnesium Aspartate): Testosterone and Sleep
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ZMA (Zinc Magnesium Aspartate): half-life, strengths and approval status

Amounts and limits · Approval status · Half-life notes

What is ZMA?

ZMA is a combination supplement of zinc, magnesium aspartate and vitamin B6. Raising testosterone is an often advertised claim, and it has been studied for strength gains and sleep in men who train.

Also known as: zinc magnesium aspartate, zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6.

Amounts and limits

An early ZMA study used 30 mg zinc, 450 mg magnesium aspartate and 10.5 mg vitamin B6 a day, as described by Wilborn 2004; check your label for your product. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) sets adult upper limits of 40 mg a day of zinc, 350 mg a day of magnesium from supplements, and 100 mg a day of vitamin B6.

Approval status and how it is used

It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.

What studies show: in an 8-week trial of 42 resistance-trained men, a ZMA product taken before bed (which also contained mucuna and an ecdysterone herb) did not change hormone levels, body composition, strength, muscular endurance or anaerobic power compared with placebo (Wilborn 2004). In 14 exercising men who already ate enough zinc, ZMA raised blood and urine zinc but did not change total or free testosterone (Koehler 2009). In 16 trained men limited to 4 hours of sleep for two nights, ZMA did not improve sleep or next-morning lifting performance (Gallagher 2024).

Safety, per ODS: zinc at 50 mg a day or more for weeks can block copper absorption and lower HDL cholesterol; high-dose supplemental magnesium can cause diarrhea, nausea and cramps; and long-term high-dose B6 (1 to 6 g a day) can cause nerve damage. Zinc and magnesium both bind quinolone and tetracycline antibiotics, so ODS advises taking the antibiotic at least 2 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after; magnesium also reduces absorption of osteoporosis drugs such as alendronate, and zinc reduces penicillamine.

ZMA half-life and time to peak

  • Half-lifeNot listed
  • Time to peak (Tmax)Not listed

We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for ZMA that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. It is a combination of three nutrients, each handled differently by the body.

How to track ZMA in Dose Track

  1. Add ZMA as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
  2. Log each dose when you take it so your history shows exactly what you took and when.
  3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
  4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

How Dose Track handles peptides · Reconstitution calculator · Half-life calculator

Zinczinc picolinate, zinc gluconate Magnesium Bisglycinatemagnesium glycinate, magnesium diglycinate Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)pyridoxine, pyridoxine hydrochloride Tribulus terrestrisTribulus terrestris, goat's-head

Frequently asked questions

What is the half-life of ZMA?+
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for ZMA that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. It is a combination of three nutrients, each handled differently by the body.
Does ZMA raise testosterone?+
Not in the trials we found. In resistance-trained men and in exercising men who ate enough zinc, ZMA did not change testosterone compared with placebo or baseline.
Does ZMA help sleep?+
One trial in trained men limited to 4 hours of sleep for two nights found no effect on sleep or next-morning performance.
Can I track ZMA in Dose Track?+
Yes. ZMA is in Dose Track's research library, so when you add it as a custom compound its details are filled in for you to check. You can then log each dose next to your other compounds, set reminders on your own schedule, and see your history next to your lab results. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

Sources

  1. Wilborn CD, et al. Effects of zinc magnesium aspartate (ZMA) supplementation on training adaptations and markers of anabolism and catabolism. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2004;1(2):12-20.
  2. Koehler K, et al. Serum testosterone and urinary excretion of steroid hormone metabolites after administration of a high-dose zinc supplement. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009;63(1):65-70.
  3. Gallagher C, et al. Effects of supplementing zinc magnesium aspartate on sleep quality and submaximal weightlifting performance, following two consecutive nights of partial sleep deprivation. Nutrients. 2024;16(2):251.
  4. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Zinc fact sheet for health professionals (updated January 6, 2026).
  5. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium fact sheet for health professionals (updated January 6, 2026).
  6. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals (updated June 16, 2023).
  7. FDA. Questions and answers on dietary supplements.

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