We all know that protein is a good thing. And despite the fact that we try to eat well balanced meals, most of us still eat too infrequently to keep our body well supplied with nutrition and keep our metabolic rate high. This can be avoided with protein shakes or drinks consumed once or twice throughout the day.
Even though this has become more common among fitness buffs, weight loss gurus, and bodybuilders, there is still not a lot of talk about which proteins are best when. This may sound crazy, but not all protein is created equal, nor does our body absorb and metabolize it all the same. Some proteins are absorbed immediately and some take hours and hours to digest.
Casein Protein, which can be found at http://www.micellarcaseinproteinpowder.com, is the primary protein found in cows milk. It comprises 80 percent of milk protein, while the other 20 percent comes from the popular whey protein. Whey protein, which can be found at http://www.bestwheyproteinshakes.com, is very easily absorbed into the body, and approximately an hour after its been consumed it has washed through the blood stream. Casein protein however, when subjected to stomach acid, congeals and forms a gel that takes our bodies up to 7 hours to fully digest. That means a steady flow of protein for 7 hours.
Most meat heads will hate this idea, they think more is better and they want it now. But in truth, our bodies have a limited capacity for nutrient absorption, and excess nutrients either get stored as body fat or excreted. It's not like everything you eat becomes new lean muscle. In fact, the most highly recommended dietary carbohydrates are complex and slow digesting, like vegetables and whole grains. Cakes, cookies, pastas, and chocolate give an immediate insulin rush because it is broken down very quickly. It is also depleted very quickly.
This is a problem for people trying to gain muscle or athletes with high metabolisms, because it requires them to constantly fuel. So while whey protein is great pre and post workout to get protein into those muscles to sustain muscle or repair damage, Casein protein can be taken post workout, first thing in the morning, or just before bed. In other words, it can be taken when there will be some time before the next meal.
Studies have also shown that adding casein protein to your whey protein drink post workouts increases muscle growth better than simply having whey protein. It should come as no surprise here that a slow digesting protein will offer greater muscle building benefits than a faster digesting whey protein. And maintaining muscle mass is the key to rapid fat loss. As always, our bodies and health respond best to variety, moderation, and regular eating of smaller well balanced meals. And casein protein is digested more like real food than a supplement, so it offers long lasting nutrition.
A note of caution however, as casein protein intake has a direct corrolation to cancer development. Whey, while there are fewer studies on this corrolation, may prove similar as it comes from the same food source. If this is a concern, one may be more comfortable taking a less complete but safer protein, soy, which can be purchased at http://www.21food.com/offerdetail/171532/Buy-Soy-Protein-Isolate.html.