Casein Diet

Out shopping for a new protein powder, you may have been drawn to whey protein powders, which get a lot of publicity for their excellent absorption rates and effectiveness as pre- and post-workout supplements that build muscle. Casein supplement powders, however, may be just effective for the exact opposite reason, and can be a sufficient source of protein for training in themselves. The ideal approach to supplementation takes advantage of the different properties of whey and casein simultaneously.

Identification

Casein is a phosphoprotein that, claim J.R. Hoffman, Ph.D. and Michael J. Falvo, B.S., accounts for up to 80 percent of the protein in cheese and cow's milk. There are many supplements made exclusively of casein protein available on the market.

Function

Being derived from milk, casein is a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids necessary for protein synthesis and muscle development. Casein is particularly attractive to athletes and others interested in improved muscle size and strength because of its ability to form a clot in the stomach. This clot is digested very slowly, providing a sustained release of amino acids in to the bloodstream that can last for up to seven hours.

Benefits

In a study published in the "Annals of Nutrition Metabolism" which put overweight police officers on hypocaloric diets and resistance training regimens, those who supplemented with casein, while losing the same amount of fat as the those supplementing with whey protein, made gains in size and strength in their chests, arms and legs that were up to 30 percent greater than those supplementing with whey protein. The researchers attributed this to casein's ability to improve nitrogen retention, along with its overall anti-catabolic effects due to the steady stream of protein it supplies.

Ideal Strategy

In "Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition", John Ivy, Ph.D. and Robert Portman, Ph.D., suggest consuming a casein shake before bed. This provides the body with a source of protein that helps to prevent muscle breakdown during the long fast that accompanies sleep. As Jay Hoffman, Ph.D. and Michael J. Falvo, M.S., note you'll probably get the best results by supplementing with a combination of whey protein and casein. Whey isolates absorb much more quickly into the bloodstream than casein, making them more effective as your immediate pre- and post-workout drinks, while drinking a casein shake first thing in the morning and just before bed will help to create an overall anti-catabolic environment in your body.

Warning

If you're allergic to cow's milk then you'd best give casein a miss, as it's been identified as the major allergenic component of cow's milk. If you're lactose intolerant you'd be better off going for a whey protein isolate, which will have most of the milk's lactose removed during processing. You can achieve similar or even superior effects to casein by drinking your whey shake over an extended period of several hours rather than all at once. This introduces the formulation into your bloodstream at a similar rate to that produced by casein's slower digestion time.