Whey versus Casein - The Facts Behind The Research !
Whey versus Casein - The Facts Behind The Research !
Whey & Casein Protein are two of the most popular supplements on the market today. They both have significant physiological importance for the body, especially for weight-trained athletes.
This article will look at the advantages & disadvantages of both substances, how they face up compared to eachother and what is the best method to utilize the most from each of them.
1. Whey Protein
Whey is the general term that denotes the translucent part of milk that remains following the process of cheese manufacturing. This liquid is separated & purified using various techniques which yield different concentrations of whey proteins. Typically these are Whey Protein Concentrates, Isolates or Hydrolyzed Whey Powder.
Whey accounts for 20% of the Protein in Bovine milk while the other 80% accounts for casein content.
The Whey produced by Bovine Milk is rich in vitamins, minerals & has a very high Branched Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) profile.
Whey Protein supplements, especially Concentrated Whey contains more biologically active components and proteins which makes it an ideal for athletes of all varieties.
2. Casein Protein
Casein is the major component of protein found in bovine milk accounting for nearly 70-80% of its total protein, and is responsible for the white color of milk.
Casein is technically a complete milk protein, and milk proteins are important for the reuptake of of nutrients and vitamins aswell as being a source of biologically active peptides. Casein is also high in Calcium & Phosphorus.
The casein molecule exists in milk in the form of a micelle (a large colloidal particle). An interesting property of the casein micelle is its ability to form a clot in the stomach.
This clot makes casein very efficient in supplying nutrients and amino acids slowly into the blood stream, and can last for several hours (Boirie et all, 1997). This fundamentally provides better nitrogen retention and utilization by the body, (as proteins are nitrogen-containing substances, this is very important).
Whey v Casein The Research
Scientific research has been extremely beneficial in determining the effectiveness of both Whey & Casein based supplements over the last 10 years. This section of the article will display what findings have been most poignant in regards to athletes putting on muscle mass and achieving the most strength gains.
A study by Boirie et al (1997) found that a 30g serving of Whey & Casein had significantly different effects on postprandial protein gain:
Following Whey Protein ingestion, the plasma appearance of amino acids is fast, high and transient compared to casein which was absorbed much more slowly, producing a much less dramatic rise in plasma amino acid concentrations.
So what about Protein Synthesis?
Boirie et al (1997)'s finding's were that Whey Protein ingestion stimulated protein synthesis by 68% while casein ingestion stimulated protein synthesis by 31%.They also found that casein ingestion resulted in a higher net-leucine balance after 7 hours post ingestion, whereas no rise in leucine balance was seen following Whey Protein ingestion.
The results from this study suggest that Whey Protein may stimulate a rapid synthesis of Protein, but a large part of this is oxidised (used as fuel), and that casein ingestion may result in a greater protein accretion over a long duration of time.
Differences In Composition
Both Casein & Whey are complete proteins, but their amino acid composition is markedly different. Glutamine and Leucine are lower in Casein than Whey (11.6 and 8.9g compared to 21.9 and 11.1g respectively). This suggests that the digestion rate of protein may be more important than the amino acid composition itself.
Effects on Mass and Strength
A study investigating the effects of Whey & Casein on body composition and strength (over 12 weeks) showed that overweight police officers supplementing with Casein showed significantly greater strength gains and lean tissue accruement than those on Whey. Subjects supplemented twice a day with an overall protein intake of 1.3lb per lb of bodyweight.
Athletes & Conclusion
In Athletes supplementing their diets with additional protein, casein has been show to provide the greatest benefit for increases in protein synthesis for a prolonged duration, although Whey protein has a greater initial benefit for protein synthesis.
These evident differences are due to different rates of absorption. It is likely that a combination of the two may provide the best results for athletes looking to increase lean tissue mass and strength gains, along with a high protein diet.
- For more muscle building and supplement related articles, please check out Musclechronicle.com
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