Protein masterclass: Introducing Casein

When you talk about proteins there are now numerous varieties on the market, with the bulk of production coming from whey.

Whey is the liquid that separates from the curds during the cheesemaking process, it is high protein but can have high quantities of lactose, a milk sugar that some individuals find it difficult to digest.

Whey protein isolate (WPI) is one of the most popular blends of whey and is significant for having lower levels of lactose.

Supplement City introduces it’s new series on proteins and today we will be talking about one of the most popular blends which gets little attention.

Casein is one of the beneficial proteins for the fact it takes many hours to digest.

This makes it highly popular amongst bodybuilders as the go-to supplement before bedtime.

Like Whey, Casein is a byproduct of cheese production, and like it’s more popular counterpart, contains all the essential amino acids.

However Casein’s weakness – if it does have one (bear in mind it’s strength in slow protein absorbtion is invaluable) – is that it contains fewer branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).

Casein has a higher portion of amino acids histidine, methionine and phenylalanine.

Having few BCAAs isn’t a bad thing, but remember that leucine is the amino that truly jumpstarts the muscle building process.

So due to it’s highest leucine content, whey protein is the blend of choice when it comes to stimulating protein synthesis (the key to muscle building), often being consumed immediately following workouts.

However Casein has other immense advantages.

Casein contains bioactive peptides that have been proven to benefit your immune and digestive systems.

These peptides have some astonishing qualities, with similarities to angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, a class of drugs commonly prescribed to control blood pressure.

 

The four primary types of protein (the first two are generally considered higher quality):

Micellar casein

Hydrolyzed casein

Calcium casein

Calcium caseinate

 

These Casein peptides also bind to and carry core minerals like calcium and phosphorus, which improves their digestibility in stomachs.

Casein is also, generally, has the highest calcium content of any protein, making it invaluable for bone strengthening.

Yet taste is often king when it comes to proteins, and again, Casein struggles against it’s more popular big brother.

Casein doesn’t mix as well as most whey proteins, and many believe that Casein protein’s consistency and taste doesn’t compare to whey.

But these facts should not dethrone Casein as a powerhouse of anyone’s supplement routine.

Why?

Simply because of how potent it can be during sleep windows.

Sleep is the greatest of all recovery actions.

Muscles repair themselves and grow while we sleep, while growth hormone is enhanced during this time – this in turn boosts muscle growth further and decreases fat.

Casein protein before bedtime ensures that your muscles have a consistent supply of amino acids while they are resting and recovering.

Supplement City stocks a wide range of Casein proteins, which can be viewed here.