ZMA (zinc, magnesium, B6)
Zinc and magnesium aspartate with vitamin B6, usually taken in the evening
Zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 in one fixed combination, normally taken in the evening on an empty stomach. The original pitch to strength athletes was that heavy training and heavy sweating deplete zinc and magnesium faster than food replaces them. Trial evidence for the testosterone and performance claims is weak. What keeps most people taking it is how they sleep rather than what they lift. At high intakes over long stretches, zinc competes with copper absorption.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Kelly StarrettDoes it
Doctor of physical therapy · The Ready State
ZMA with 5-HTP before bed is one of the few things he named as making a clear difference to how he sleeps. He is careful to add that he has no neurotransmitter problem and is not treating one. The rest of what he takes came out of test results, he says.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show: Kelly Starrett Q&A, episode 85 transcript
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under sleep.
- Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Magnesium (threonate or glycinate)
Taken 30-60 minutes before bed to help with sleep onset
On record from 11 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 1 recommends it, 2 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Melatonin
Widely sold as a sleeping aid; mostly a timing signal, not a sedative
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it, 3 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Ashwagandha
Adaptogen used short-term to lower cortisol during stressful stretches
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Glycine
Amino acid taken before bed, often 2-3g, to help sleep onset
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
L-theanine
Amino acid from tea used for calm focus, or with caffeine
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Apigenin
Chamomile-derived compound taken before bed, usually 50mg
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
Supplement entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.