What is the difference between whey and casein protein and when should I use them?

Sunday, August 9, 2009

There is a significant difference between whey and casein protein. Whey protein is a fast digesting protein whereas casein is a slow digesting protein. Whey usually peaks in its release of amino acids and protein synthesis in about forty minutes with a total digestion at about an hour. Whereas casein protein will peak in its release of blood amino acids and protein synthesis in about four hours and can take up to seven hours for full digestion.

The ideal times to use whey proteins are first thing in the morning and right after your work out. You would want to take a whey protein shake first thing when in the morning when you wake up because your body has been feeding all night long and is completely depleted of all vitamins and nutrients. Since whey is digested quickly it will bring the body back up into a normal level. You would then want to eat a breakfast meal within 30 – 60 minutes of the shake. You would also want to take a whey protein shake immediately after your workout because you have just used up all of the body’s stored energy in order to handle the workload of your weight training program. Quick tip – make sure that your whey protein also has glutamine and amino acids in it for quality gains. Like breakfast, you would want to eat a solid meal within 30-60 minutes of your workout.

Since casein protein is a slow digesting protein you would want to take this before you went to sleep. This will give a sustained release of protein and vitamins throughout the night when you are sleeping preventing the body to feed off of your muscle that you have worked so hard to gain. This is really the only time that you would want to take a casein protein.

However, since everyone has a different lifestyle and schedule and not everyone can get every meal in, you could take a shake to help ensure that you are getting your protein and amino acids in. You would want to take it like this: 50/50 whey and casein blend. The whey is fast digesting fueling your body right away and the casein is slowly digesting giving a sustained release for a couple of hours. The casein protein is also thicker giving you a sense of satiety and not leaving you with hunger pains. Now this is not to be done on a regular basis as a meal replacement, as solid food is the best source of proteins, vitamins, minerals, fats, and carbohydrates. You want to try to get your solid meals in as often as you can.