Casein Protein

Athletes benefit the most of casein proteins when they divide taking their casein shakes over the day, and have one shake for example in the morning and another one at ten pm. Casein is less useful as a pre- or post workout supplement.

This is not something we just dream up at Berry de Mey Nutrition. We base this info on scientific research – to be exact: on a study that Finnish scientists published in Nutrition Research in 2009. During this research, 13 beginner bodybuilders who trained in a gym four times a week, had to take two shakes every day that contained 35 grams of casein.

During the whole experiment the subjects took one 35 gram casein shake at their breakfast. For the first eight weeks of this experiment, the bodybuilders took their second casein shake right before their training. For a second part of the experiment, that also lasted eight weeks, they had their second shake at 10 pm, a few hours before they went to sleep. In total they took 70 grams of casein every day, besides their regular food.

To cut a long story short, casein didn't work that well when the bodybuilders took it right before their workout. In this first period their fat-free mass – let's say: their muscle mass – increased by 1 percent. The maximum weight with which they could barely squat 1 rep increased by a little over 10 percent.
When they took their second shake at ten pm, they improved a lot more within that same period of eight weeks. Their fat-free mass increased by 2 percent and their maximum strength at squatting grew by 18 percent.

These results are not surprising. Casein mainly consists of big chains of protein that the enzymes in your stomach cannot cut into small digestible bits that easily. Absorbing casein therefore takes time. This makes casein the perfect protein if you intend to provide your body with a steady stream of amino acids for a longer period of time. Taking a casein shake at 10 in the morning, amino acids will enter your bloodstream until well in the afternoon, enabling your muscles to grow. Taking a shake at night, the amino acids will get into your blood while you sleep.

While you are training, or when you have just been training, such a steady flow of amino acids is not enough. The more amino acids are in your blood at that time, the better. You want your muscle cells to soak in amino acids, so to speak, to reduce muscle break-down and increase muscle built. It is better to use a kind of protein that is easily cut into small bits by your enzymes. Whey is one, soy protein another example. So it's better to use these proteins for your pre or post workout shakes. The digestion of those take time as well, so if you want your workout to coincide with the peak of amino acids in your blood, it is best to take your whey or soy an hour before training. More about this some other time.

Nutr Res. 2009 Jun;29(6):405-13.

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