Clemson, not sure if this is what you’re looking for…
Vitamin B-6 has a wide variety of metabolic functions in the body, especially in amino acid metabolism and in the central nervous system. Vitamin B6 is a co-factor in over 100 enzymatic reactions in the body. These include the formation and breakdown of amino acids, the conversion of amino acids to carbohydrate or fat, and in fat metabolism. It is involved in the manufacture of most protein-related compounds and plays a role in almost all bodily processes. It is also vital for the healthy development and function of the nervous system as well as immune system.
Zinc is helpful for the respiratory systems and in stress situations where the body must call on its healing capacity. It is involved in DNA biosynthesis and is thought to be the activator of collagen synthetase, an enzyme which is necessary for collagen biosynthesis and therefore tissue repair. Zinc is essential for many body processes including protein synthesis and amino acid metabolism.
Magnesium facilitates oxygen delivery to working muscle tissue.
Thanks for the post…it’s just that it seems that those factors will be taken care of during the entire 24 hour period…why the focus just on those three in the evening (besides ensuring no competing nutrients are impairing absorbtion)
b6 assists with the formation and breakdown of amino acids and zinc is involved with amino acid metabolism as well. b6 is responsible for the conversion of tryptophan to niacin. the more brain tryptophan leads to more brain production of serotonin and increased likelihood of sleep onset. and then you have magnesium which improves oxygen delivery to the muscle tissue as well as promoting muscle relaxation…these factors are why zma is so effective in getting a deep sleep. glucose levels could play a factor here as well but i’m not 100% sure on that.
since our immune system and cns recovery are most vital during the sleeping hours, is just another reason zinc and b-6 are an important part of this formula. zinc facilitates tissue repair and b-6 is vital for the proper function of the immune system and nervous system.
so i would think these combination of factors is why zma is claimed to have an anabolic effect.
I really didn’t notice a big difference in the packets vs the capsules. That said, the effects are the same (rockin’ sleep). Now to the flavoring … the apple berry doesn’t do it for me. I actually didn’t like it. The rootbeer float though is excellent. Once my snac capsules are out, I’ll order some of the packets and some more capsules.
The question is after doing blood work what is important? The three micronutrients are placed together away from the diet and I support the use of Zinc at night time. When the tissues get saturated (read normal) does the sleep become super sleep? Does tissue repair get enhanced? Magnesium helps calcium with bone formation and I don’t see to many athletes save dancers and female gymnastic teams being low…
Does the sugar help create a hypoglycemic environment?
i think if you get blood work, its important to evaluate deficiencies and excess to determine how you can improve/alter your daily routine. what’s important depends on the individual.
super sleep…maybe. and i would think tissue repair would be enhanced and even if its a minimal amount, over the long run, it adds up to a lot.
i’m assuming you mean the hypoglycemic environment would occur a few hours into your sleep…i don’t see how this could help since a lack or excess amount of glucose will prevent sleep.
Are we chemists or supplement engineers? I think ZMA should be part of every athlete’s diet but remember what the ingredients are…Zinc, Magnesium, and B-6. I think both diet and exercise create frequent depletion issues but let’s be real about what is happening during sleep. Now does the nightcap double the power or is it 5%. I have no clue but I take Biotest ZMA for now…
It would be interesting what the differences would be if someone took b-6 in the morning, magnesisum in the afternoon, and zinc at night. Would it still work? Would you gain 1% of strenght? Numbers a real but they can’t be touched!
hypothetical…blood tests at different times of the day - morning, afternoon, evening, after training…etc. i’m not saying its practical, but do you think this could be beneficial?
Beneficial yes, if the reason of these exams is to check direct catabolic state parameters, such as cortizol, free testosteron, CK, LDH, etc. and ofcourse short after training. Any similar opinions on this ?
priceless or worthless? Seems nothing works and everything works…theory.
Zinc
Magnesium
B-6
and that’s all folks…very important Zinc is but it is not going to do anything beyond normal saturated levels. Let’s get real. In my experience 80 percent of males were tested very low. ok…but after a while things increased and no further gains were seen after 6 months.
I would Let Dr. Peterson and Dr. Clement talk about the physiology and nutritional interaction of sleep in Sleep Journal.
so lets put things in perspective…taking a multi-vitamin, i’m eating my 6-7 meals a day, taking omega-3s, why should i take zma? why not just hit the sauna late night and then get a good nights sleep? i know zma is only $10-15 a month but why not allocate the money towards something else.
i was wondering could anyone help me with whick companys to take thier supplemnts ,i need to take creatine glutamine aminoacids and what are the dosage ,i take creatine 2 months beforse competion and the amino acids is 3 tablets per day except one on resting day any way i have been using twin lab 1000 amino acid is it good or should i swap to another brand tell me please
I tried it last night and I must have missed to window of benefit. I took it at 9:30 on an empty stomach and went to be at 11:30 and didn’t get to sleep until 2 AM. This happened sometimes with ZMA caps as well.