Best ZMA for Athletes (2026): 4 Checked, 2 on Sport Lists
The best ZMA for an athlete is NOW Sports ZMA, $0.31 a day, on the Informed Sport list. It gives 300 mg of magnesium, 20 mg of zinc and 10 mg of vitamin B6 in 2 capsules. Want NSF Certified for Sport? Buy True Athlete ZMA + Theanine, $1.17 a day.
Our pick for: a ZMA on a sport testing list
- A day
- $0.312 capsules at Amazon's price.
- A bottle
- $27.99180 capsules, 90 days
- In 2 capsules
- 300 / 20 / 10 mgMagnesium / zinc / vitamin B6
- Sport list
- Informed SportListed by name, read November 12, 2026
Why we pick it It costs the least a day of the four ZMA products, and a 180-capsule bottle lasts 90 days. Informed Sport lists NOW Sports ZMA by name, with the test date of each batch; the latest was 21 August 2026.
Which ZMA supplements are on a sport testing list?
NOW Sports ZMA is on Informed Sport, $0.31 a day. True Athlete ZMA + Theanine is on NSF Certified for Sport, $1.17 a day.
True Athlete ZMA + Theanine, on NSF Certified for Sport
NSF lists "ZMA + Theanine With Ashwagandha" from True Athlete by The Vitamin Shoppe, in the 90-capsule pack with a serving of 3 capsules (listing 1810784, read November 12, 2026). The label gives 452 mg magnesium, 30 mg zinc and 10.5 mg vitamin B6 in 3 capsules, plus 125 mg Sensoril ashwagandha and 100 mg L-theanine. Choose it if you want NSF Certified for Sport.
$1.17 a day · $34.99 for 30 days
Check price on AmazonTwo more ZMA choices
Optimum Nutrition ZMA and Transparent Labs ZMO.
Optimum Nutrition ZMA
Amazon sells it as "Zinc and Magnesium Aspartate" from Optimum Nutrition. The label gives 450 mg magnesium, 30 mg zinc and 10.5 mg vitamin B6 in 3 capsules. Choose it if you want the Optimum Nutrition brand.
$0.63 a day · $37.56 for 60 days
Check price on AmazonTransparent Labs ZMO, on Informed Choice
Informed Choice lists "ZMO" from Transparent Labs, certified 31-Jul-2023. The label gives 144 mg magnesium (magnesium bisglycinate), 11 mg zinc (zinc picolinate) and 500 mg oyster meat powder in 2 capsules, with no vitamin B6. It contains shellfish (oyster). Choose it if you want magnesium bisglycinate and zinc picolinate in place of aspartate.
$1.07 a day · $31.99 for 30 days
Check price on AmazonWhat does each ZMA give in a serving?
The four products with a price, lowest cost a day first, at Amazon prices read November 12, 2026. Amounts are for the label's lowest daily serving. Cost a day is the price divided by the days a bottle lasts at that serving. At 3 capsules, NOW gives 450 mg magnesium, 30 mg zinc and 15 mg vitamin B6 for $0.47 a day. Informed Sport and NSF Certified for Sport are programs that test supplements for athletes; each list names the products it covers.
| Product and serving | Magnesium | Zinc | B6 | A day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOW Sports ZMA2 capsules. Informed Sport | 300 mg | 20 mg | 10 mg | $0.31 |
| Optimum Nutrition ZMA3 capsules. Not on a sport testing list | 450 mg | 30 mg | 10.5 mg | $0.63 |
| Transparent Labs ZMO2 capsules. Not on a sport testing list; Informed Choice | 144 mg | 11 mg | No B6 | $1.07 |
| True Athlete ZMA + Theanine3 capsules. NSF Certified for Sport | 452 mg | 30 mg | 10.5 mg | $1.17 |
How much magnesium and zinc is too much?
NIH sets the adult upper limit at 350 mg a day for supplemental magnesium and 40 mg a day for zinc. One serving at the label's lowest amount gives: NOW Sports ZMA 300 mg magnesium and 20 mg zinc; True Athlete ZMA + Theanine 452 mg magnesium and 30 mg zinc; Optimum Nutrition ZMA 450 mg magnesium and 30 mg zinc; Transparent Labs ZMO 144 mg magnesium and 11 mg zinc. NOW's label goes up to 3 capsules, which gives 450 mg magnesium and 30 mg zinc. A 3-capsule ZMA serving is a full day of supplement magnesium, so skip other magnesium supplements that day. The most zinc in any lowest serving here is 30 mg.
How do you check a ZMA bottle on a sport list?
- Search the product name on the program's site: sport.wetestyoutrust.com for Informed Sport, nsfsport.com for NSF Certified for Sport.
- On the NSF listing, match the pack size and the serving. On the Informed Sport listing, find the batch table, which shows each batch's expiry and test date.
- Match the batch or lot number printed on your bottle to the listing.
Questions people ask
What is ZMA?
ZMA is zinc, magnesium aspartate and vitamin B6. NOW Sports ZMA, Optimum Nutrition ZMA and True Athlete ZMA + Theanine all give those three. Transparent Labs ZMO is a different mix: magnesium bisglycinate and zinc picolinate with 500 mg oyster meat powder and no vitamin B6.
Which ZMA costs the least a day?
NOW Sports ZMA, at $0.31 a day for the label's lowest serving of 2 capsules. Taken at 3 capsules, the top of its label range, it gives 450 mg magnesium, 30 mg zinc and 15 mg vitamin B6 for $0.47 a day.
Is NOW Sports ZMA on a sport list?
Yes. Informed Sport lists NOW Sports ZMA as a capsule and shows each batch with its test date. Look up your bottle's batch number on sport.wetestyoutrust.com.
How we picked
We checked every ZMA and ZMO product we found for sale on Amazon: four. Label amounts come from the NIH label database for NOW Sports ZMA and Optimum Nutrition ZMA, the NSF label for True Athlete, and the supplement facts photo on the Transparent Labs listing. We searched Informed Sport, Informed Choice and NSF Certified for Sport for each on November 12, 2026. We priced each bottle on November 12, 2026.
Sources
- Informed Sport listing, NOW Sports ZMA: sport.wetestyoutrust.com, read November 12, 2026.
- NSF Certified for Sport listing: True Athlete ZMA + Theanine With Ashwagandha, read November 12, 2026.
- Informed Choice listing, Transparent Labs ZMO: choice.wetestyoutrust.com, read November 12, 2026.
- NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database: NOW Sports ZMA (label 335366) and Optimum Nutrition ZMA (label 57570). NSF label image for True Athlete (listing 1810784).
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets on magnesium and zinc: adult upper limits, read November 12, 2026.
- Amazon product listings and prices for the four products, read November 12, 2026 through the Amazon Creators API.