It’s easy to think of whey and casein protein powders as competitors, but they each have their own place in your healthy lifestyle. You may hear from many people that whey protein isolate is the cream of the crop and is the only protein worth your time, but that is not entirely true. Once you fully understand the many casein protein powder benefits, you can determine whether this form of protein can help you reach your goals.
Say Good Night with Casein
To take full advantage of all casein protein powder benefits, enjoy a shake or smoothie right before tucking into bed. The steady release of amino acids and protein will hit your body throughout the night, nourishing your muscles while you rest. This helps your muscles recover from intense workouts and grow stronger, but it also helps you wake up without feeling like you have fasted all night.
While whey protein powder remains the best option for after-workout supplementation, whey is not a good option for a nighttime treat. Casein doesn’t hit the bloodstream all at once like whey, so you get a slow release of nourishing goodness for hours after consumption.
Stop the Growling
Does your stomach growl throughout the day? Do you sometimes get busy at work or running between meetings and find it impossible to stop for a healthy meal? Empty stomachs tend to growl and take your focus off of more important things, but casein protein powder may help. Keep your powder and a shaker cup on hand so that you can quickly mix it with water or another liquid when you can’t sit down for a meal or grab a substantial snack.
Your stomach will feel full after consuming your protein powder, and that sense of satiety will last longer with casein powder than whey or other forms of protein. That slow release of protein helps you get through long days without hitting up the vending machine.
Lose the Fat Faster
If your health and fitness goals include burning fat while picking up lean muscle mass, casein is your friend. Studies have shown that casein protein can speed up the metabolism and improve fat burning efficiency when consumed in the right quantities. You will need a healthy dose of casein on a daily basis to get those results, but you are ramping up your intake of protein anyway, right? You can’t rely on a protein shake to do all of the fat burning for you, but it is one more tool that can speed up your results.
Smile Pretty
One study completed in the UK found that people who consumed casein protein supplements successfully reduce enamel erosion on their teeth. This doesn’t mean that you will overcome stained teeth or turn back the clock on periodontal disease just by consuming a casein protein shake, but this study just shows one more potential benefit of consuming casein protein.
Lean, Mean, Fighting Machine
Perhaps the most important of all casein protein powder benefits is the ability to maximize results from your strength training workouts. If you struggle to find a whey protein powder for your pre-workout energy boost, you find a casein protein powder a suitable substitute.
You may also use casein protein powders as the foundation of homemade meal replacement shakes, taking advantage of the slow protein release that will keep your stomach feeling full for at least a couple hours after consuming your liquid meal. This is a valuable weight loss supplement as long as you still consume healthy, well-balanced meals and keep the total calories for your shake in mind to ensure it fits within your caloric boundaries for any given day.
Final Thoughts
You may use casein and whey protein powders at different times in order to achieve different results. Don’t get caught in a single-minded trap believing that you need to remain loyal to one brand or one type of protein powder. Take advantage of different products and put them to use in different ways. This shakes up your daily routine so that you never get bored and allows you to tailor your protein supplements to your current health, fitness and wellness goals.
If you have difficulty determining whether whey or casein protein powders best fit your needs, look for protein powders that combine both forms of protein. These products typically offer slow release of protein and amino acids in the short, mid and long term. They may also include other forms of protein, such as soy protein or various vegetarian protein powders.