Which Protein and When
We all talk about protein and I think it is generally well preached on this board that we should be eating Whey Isolate in supplement form in addition to the chicken, beef, tuna, beans, tofu, turkey, etc. that we eat in our meals. There are other kinds of proteins out there, Soy, Beef, Milk, Pea, Hemp, Casein, and there are blends and concentrates. So we do have choices, but do you know when you should consider and or actually incorporate these other proteins as well as why we actually prefer whey isolate (and what the issue with whey isolate is for us fatties)?
The reason we prefer Whey Isolate is it is a very fast digesting protein and gets into our system and therefor muscles much faster than any other protein. Whey a by-product of milk and its the liquid you see on top of your greek yogurt, sour cream, or cottage cheese when you open the container (so don't dump it into the sink, mix it back in). The problem with Whey Isolate and why some people find whey concentrates and/or blends more satisfying is that because they are fast digesting we process them very quickly and we do not stay as satiated or satisfied as long as we do when we eat real food. This is why body builders will often eat protein with oatmeal, bananas, or other fruits because they digest a bit slower and they do not feel hungry quite as quickly.
If you are a vegetarian or lactose intolerant (many whey isolates are lactose free so you may be ok) you should consider using the other types of protein I mentioned, except for Casein protein (which is also a milk product).
What I really want to talk about here is Casein Protein. Casein protein is similar in quality to whey protein except that it is a slow digesting protein. It takes several hours for us to digest it and it provides a steady stream of protein to our muscles. Now the million dollar question, why don't we just use Casein instead of whey. The reason is because it is a slow digesting protein it is a bit harder on our stomach and if we used it exclusively we would end up in pain. I know from first hand experience that this should be limited to once or twice a day. So when should you use Casein protein? Right before bed. Yes before bed. While you sleep your body will get a steady stream of protein for muscle repair and your body won't strip the protein it needs during sleep from your newly built muscles. Be forewarned, casein tends to mix fairly thick, so if you are accustom to using milk or almond milk, you will want to use water for your casein. You should consider this particularly if you are working out with weights and trying to build muscle.
UPDATE: One other thing about casein, I haven't tried this yet but supposedly when you cook with protein powder (particularly faux deserts if you use casein instead of whey the end result won't be spongy/rubbery.
OMG, even when I get irritated about some of the stupid bickering that goes on here, I keep coming back for this VERY reason. I always pour out the liquid on the top of my greek yogurt. Oh man, WTH! Does that mean I'm not taking in the amount of protein it states that it has? Or I've just been missing out on the "whey" aspect of it????? wow, thanks for this!
Great post Keith!
I'm 5 weeks out with minimal exercise. I shop at GNC and use the wheybolic extreme 60 (1 scoop 20g protein w/unsweetened almond milk) for breakfast. and RTD Pure Protein Frosty Chocolate shake 35g protein before bed.
All other protein is dense protein & cottage cheese/cheese. Are these the best protein for me, or do you recommend something else? Thanks for your advise.
5'3 SW 218 M1: -22 M2: -12 M3: -12 M4: -12 M5: -10 M6: -8 M7: -12
