Casein is the most popular type of protein supplement next to whey. It has strong anti-catabolic properties that inhibit the breakdown of muscle mass. An important advantage of casein is its long digestion period, which means that the body is supplied with adequate doses of amino acids needed for muscle development for many hours. See what casein works and how to dose this supplement.

Caseinis the most important protein in milk - it accounts for over ¾ of all amino acids it contains. It is obtained by dehydrating milk and removing as much lactose and fat from it as possible. As a result of this process, a white powder is formed, which is additionally enriched with sweeteners to improve the taste.

Casein obtained in this way is a completely natural product. The benefits of using it can be primarily enjoyed by people exercising at the gym who would like to provide their muscles with a constant supply of protein, especially at night and between workouts.

Casein - how does it work?

Casein reaching the stomach undergoes coagulation (curdles) under the influence of gastric acids. The result is a mucilaginous clot that is slowly digested by the body. This process can take up to 5-7 hours - during this time, amino acids are gradually released into the bloodstream, supplying the muscles with the necessary building blocks.

Such a long absorption time for casein, however, has its drawbacks. Although the supply of protein remains constant for many hours, it is lower than after the administration of whey protein. In other words, whey causes a short-term, jump-like discharge of proteins into the bloodstream, while in the case of casein it is a long and gradual process. For this reason, casein is less anabolic than whey, but has strong anti-catabolic properties. It is estimated that it can inhibit the breakdown of muscle mass by about 40%.

Types of casein - micellar casein and calcium caseinate

Casein is commercially available in two forms: micellar casein and calcium caseinate. The difference between the nutrients is the way they are obtained from milk - micellar casein has a much greater nutritional value.

Micellar casein

Micellar casein is obtained by degreasing and cleaning milk from impurities andlactose. Micellar casein is obtained at low temperature thanks to natural microfiltration (i.e. a process that runs without the use of chemicals). In this way, casein is obtained with an intact peptide structure with a large amount of L-glutamine and BCAA preserved. The process of obtaining micellar casein is more expensive and longer than that of calcium caseinate.

Calcium caseinate

If you see the name "caseinate" on the package, you are dealing with calcium caseinate, not micellar casein. Calcium caseinate is an acid casein produced in the cheese production process - as a result of pasteurization and subjecting milk to high temperature. Under the influence of these processes, the structure of the protein is disturbed and its biological activity decreases. However, the complete amino acid sequence is preserved. During the production of cheese, the milk is renneted. To obtain calcium caseinate, even before the milk is curdled, calcium hydroxide should be added to it to neutralize the acidic pH of the acidified milk. Calcium caseinate has a high (17%) content of L-glutamine.

It is worth adding that calcium caseinate as a night conditioner will prove worse than micellar casein, because its digestion time is much shorter than in the case of micellar casein.

There are preparations in the form of pure micellar casein (they have an exceptionally sweet taste) or calcium caseinate, supplements that are a mixture of micellar casein and whey protein, as well as supplements that combine micellar casein and calcium caseinate.

Casein - dosage

Due to the absorption of casein for a long time and in small amounts, this supplement should not be used after training. Then the body needs large amounts of easily digestible protein to quickly compensate for losses resulting from intense exercise. Whey protein is best suited for this purpose.

It is recommended that you consume casein before going to bed. Thanks to this, at night, when the body lacks food, the muscles are constantly supplied with protein, which inhibits the process of their breakdown. Another possible time to use casein is the time between workouts when you cannot eat a wholesome meal.

The daily dose of casein should be 0.8 to 2.2 g per kilogram of body weightdepending on the training load. A single dose should not exceed 30 g (larger amounts may cause disturbances in the digestive system).

Worth knowing

Casein and slimming

Casein is often mentioned in the context of weight loss - for good reason. Research has shown that the protein is in the form of caseinhas satiating properties. An example is the experiment from 2009, which was carried out by scientists from Maastricht1 . For 12 weeks, they administered either whey protein or casein to 48 participants (the participants of the experiment were divided into two groups). It turned out that the effects of both types of proteins were similar - the weight loss in people from both groups was the same, and it was also shown that both supplements prolonged the feeling of fullness. For this reason, it is recommended to use casein in situations where the break between two meals is long and you want to avoid snacking during this time.

Casein is also responsible for accelerated metabolism - the body must put a lot of energy into protein metabolism (on average twice as much as in the case of fats and carbohydrates), which in turn causes a slimming effect. Casein is recommended to be used as the last meal before going to bed, because it suppresses the feeling of hunger at night and at the same time protects the muscles against breakdown.

Casein - how to choose the best supplement?

Among the protein supplements available on the market, it is difficult to find a preparation whose only ingredient would be casein. When such a product is offered, it usually contains calcium caseinate - the least valuable form of casein protein. Micellar casein has the best biological value, but the process of obtaining it from milk is expensive. Therefore, many nutrients advertised as "sustained release proteins" do not contain this form of protein at all or are replaced with cheaper equivalents (eg whey). The characteristic taste of casein, which does not suit many customers, is also important, so producers give up adding it to their protein mixtures at all. The quality of such "defective" supplements is usually very poor, and besides, they do not fulfill their basic task - they do not effectively inhibit catabolic processes taking place in the muscles.

To buy a valuable conditioner based on casein, you should carefully analyze its composition - preferably if it is short, and the micellar form of casein is in the first place. The large number of ingredients is a signal that the product is a mixture of many different proteins, only a small part of which has a casein-like effect.

Casein - side effects

Caseins should not be consumed by people who are allergic to milk, because in most cases it is this type of protein that causes allergies. People with hypersensitivity to dairy products and suffering from chronic indigestion should also exercise caution.

Even in he althy people, excessive consumption of casein can trigger a number of side effects like thisas: digestive disorders, flatulence, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting. When using the recommended doses, the risk of side effects is small.

Sources:

1. Access to research at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19153580

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