Choose the right casein

Why casein protein is not only useful at night.....
Bodybuilders and strength athletes have known for years that whey protein is a quick
digestible protein. Ideal for protein supply & recovery after training.
Some people like to consume hydrolyzed whey protein because it is digested more quickly
than normal whey protein. This happens because the long protein chains have been broken down into shorter fragments
. They are basically "pre-digested"!

In addition, strength athletes know that casein should ideally be taken before
going to bed due to its slow digestibility in order to minimize possible "catabolic phases".
Current research results have shown that protein synthesis is improved
if you mix casein protein WITH whey protein in your post-workout shake. Now you are surely asking yourself
which casein would be best?!?
On the one hand there is the quickly digestible hydrolyzed casein.....
On the other hand there is the normal (micellar & caseinate) casein.....

In a French study, 21 male and female study participants were given a weight
gain shake with 700Kcal, high amounts of carbohydrates, fats and protein. In one group,
the protein source was hydrolyzed casein, while the second group received a shake with whole
(micellar or caseinate) casein. As it turned out, muscle protein synthesis
was stronger in the group that drank the shake with whole casein. In the group that received the
shake with hydrolyzed casein, more protein was used for functions
that had nothing to do with muscle growth (e.g. improved hair growth, skin healing,
wound healing, immune system).

In a second study on the effects of hydrolyzed and whole casein protein, in which
no other calories (carbohydrates, fat) were given, the results were exactly
the opposite. She found that as long as it is taken on its own, more
casein protein is used to build muscle when consumed in hydrolyzed form
.
Which form of casein is the
right one to accompany whey or whey protein after training depends on your goals. If you want to control your carbohydrate and calorie intake
in order to build muscle and lose body fat at the same time, you should
add hydrolyzed casein protein to your whey protein shake, with a maximum of 30 grams of carbohydrates
and no fat.

If, on the other hand, you are interested in gaining weight, you should opt for a whole casein (e.g.
micellar or caseinate) as an addition to your whey protein shake after training
. You should also focus on high carbohydrate & fat quantities after training.
For example, you can use maltodextrin as a fast-digesting carbohydrate. Because of
the higher protein content, I recommend milk (3.5% fat) or weight gain powder. Milk contains
a lot of fat as well as casein and whey as a natural protein source in a ratio of 80/20.
Although conventional bodybuilding wisdom recommends avoiding fat after training,
casein protein apparently works synergistically with fat, resulting in
higher muscle growth.

Another study also showed that whole milk (3.5% fat) consumed after training
resulted in increased muscle protein synthesis compared to skim milk.