Casein protein
When it comes to protein supplements, the most commonly purchased and talked about is whey protein. Whey protein is the most rapidly digestible protein and as such is commonly used by athletes and bodybuilders post workout. However, although whey protein is great for rapid delivery to refuel your muscle after exercise, what do you do if you want something that digests more slowly?
The reason we discuss slow versus rapid digestions is two-fold. First, rapid digestions mean that the protein is delivered immediately to your starving muscles so that they can repair and rebuild. The caveat to this is that rapidly digested proteins also don’t last very long and as a result they are consumed within hours if not minutes. In some cases, it is important to fuel your body more slowly so that it can continually feed. One such example would be overnight or during long trips when you don’t have time to eat often. Another example could be in the morning, when you might not have time for a full breakfast but don’t want to be starving by 10:00. Whey protein works great otherwise, but it is not optimal in this circumstance.
Casein protein is underrated for this very reason, because it is digested slowly so that your muscles can feed throughout an entire day or evening. Like whey, casein is a dairy product, but it is composed of a different part of a cow’s milk. Actually, 80% of cow’s milk is casein, and therefore it is not only readily available, but can also be cheaper than whey in some cases.
Casein protein has a high dose of amino acids, including branch chain amino acids (BCAA’s) and is the best option when it comes to slow digesting proteins. It sits in the gut and slowly releases protein and amino acids over time so that your body stays full and provides a constant source of fuel to your muscles. As stated before, one of the best times to supplement with casein is before bed or in the morning. Bodybuilders do this often so that they are building muscle while they sleep.
When left without protein, the body will feed itself on your muscle, which is far from optimal. The goal is to provide your body with enough protein and amino acids so that it feeds on carbohydrates and fat, resulting in a leaner and more muscular body. When used in conjunction with whey protein, casein helps round out your daily supplement regimen and caps off the perfect diet.
There are a variety of great casein proteins, but you are far better off buying online than you are buying in a local nutrition or health food store. Buying in bulk can often save you as much as 50%, this is important when you might buy many supplements on a monthly basis. Casein isn’t usually as beneficial as whey protein after a workout, but if you want to experiment you can combine the two for the perfect slow and fast blend. I like to mix them together to make sure that my body can absorb as much protein throughout the day as possible.
Just because people don’t talk about casein protein doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have its place. The truth is that most don’t talk about it because they simply don’t know about it. Help educate your friends and let them know how important a casein supplement can be for their bodybuilding or exercise routine. Regardless of your style, casein will benefit you tremendously. It can be found in many flavors and comes in powder form for easy mixing and consumption.
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