If you’re looking to take your physique to the next level, then you should perhaps look into adding casein protein to your supplement regime. For those that don’t know, casein protein powder is a special type of protein that digests at a much slower rate than normal protein powders. It’s not something you would want to take after a workout due to it’s slower digesting properties, but it’s something that is fantastic to take before going to bed or when you need something to last you a little while. The best casein protein powder is a great benefit in certain scenarios, because instead of a fast influx of protein and amino acids, with casein, you will have hours of continued release of protein and amino acids to your muscles. Like many things, though, figuring out which products are truly the best can be time consuming, so to help you out we have ranked the 5 top casein protein powders available today.
Casein Protein vs Typical Protein
Casein is a dairy-based protein and makes up for somewhere around 80% of the protein found in milk. It has a very rich amino acid profile and has the unique ability to be digested at a much slower rate than your typical protein powder. Most protein powders are created to be digested very quickly so that you get the protein in your bloodstream and to your muscles as soon as possible. This is a good thing after a workout or for your first meal upon waking up. But there are times when you do want a protein that doesn’t digest so quickly, and for those times, casein protein is a great tool to have.
When To Use Casein Protein
The most common time that casein protein is used is right before bed, for many reasons. When you sleep, you are going to go without any nutrients for 6-8 hours, so during that time, you want something in your system that your body will use for a lot of that time. A normal protein powder would last you maybe one hour, possibly even less. This is where casein protein shines as many studies have shown that the time to fully digest casein can be up to 4-5 hours. That’s a great thing if you aren’t going to be able to eat for 6-8 hours, as your muscles will be getting nutrients while you sleep. This helps aid the recovery process even more. It’s also useful if you know you’re going to be going a while without a meal during the day, as the same benefits apply.
Muscle Pharm Combat Casein
New to the casein protein market is Muscle Pharm’s newest protein offering which is made of 100% casein protein. Before this they offered their popular protein powder “Combat” as a multiple sourced protein offering as it has whey, isolate and casein protein sources but now you can just get the casein. It also has the advantage of being a great tasting product and it’s from a really solid company in Muscle Pharm.