One question. I just started to take ZMA. I know it’s suposed to be taken before bed time on a empty stomach. I am taking it 2 or 3 hours after muy last casein+fat shake. Is this enough time? How long does casein sits in your stomach? Or should i take it half an hour before my casein shake? I’m sure this has been discussed before but the search engine has ben givin error messages for some days now. Thanks.
The search engine has been working fine for me. Anyway, yes, you’ll be okay. In fact, I take mine between my last two meals of the day because I like a before bed Grow! shake. Oh, and Bill Roberts said you can take it with food no problem. I put my between the last two meals just in case.
It is not neccessary to take ZMA before bed or on an empty stomach. The whole “before bed” recommendation is because some have noticed that it helps them sleep better (i have never noticed this effect), and the “empty stomach” recommendation is there to avoid you consuming the product with calcium, as calcium somewhat inhibits the absorption. The point of using casein prior to bed is to avoid the catabolic effects of sleep. YOU WANT THE SHAKE TO LAST AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. This is why i never the whole “before bed” on an “empty stomach” thing never really made any sense to me. I take ZMA twice throughout the day WITH meals that do not contain calcium (i.e. wholefood meals such as chicken and vegetables). As for my casein and fat shake (fat slows down absorption even more), I consume it within 1 half hour of going to bed. This seems to be the best approach. You get the benefits of ZMA without sacrificing pre-sleep nutrition.