There's More Than One Protein?!
- Dan
- Jan 25, 2019
- 3 min read
Protein is found in all living matter from bacteria and fungus to plants to humans and primates. Theoretically, this means that protein can be extracted from all of these sources however cost effectiveness comes into play. A majority of the protein supplements on the market are from dairy, eggs, soy, peas, and rice. Within each of those categories there are several different types such as whey and casein proteins from dairy products. Each of these types and sub types of protein have different quantities of protein, fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, and BCAAs.
When choosing a protein it is obviously important to consider dietary needs. A person with a lactose allergy shouldn’t use a dairy based protein such as whey or casein. Next, think financial as some types are more expensive than others. Here we will briefly talk about the main two: Whey and Casein.
Whey
A good starting point for using a protein powder is whey protein before venturing off and trying pea or hemp based products. Whey is the protein left over from the coagulation of milk. When milk coagulates you get two products: Curd and Whey. The curd is what goes on to make cheese while the whey is separated out and used to make our delicious muscle juice! Whey protein is rich in protein, low in fats, carbohydrates and cholesterol. An additional benefit is it’s Branch Chain Amino Acids—the building blocks for biological protein. Whey protein digests quickly, cheap, and comes in a variety of flavors. This has been my choice of protein.
Casein
Also known as the “night time” protein for it’s slow digestion. When consumed this protein is slowly broken down allowing a gradual infusion of protein and BCAAs into your body. Various research suggests that casein protein ingested before sleep is beneficial in the synthesis of skeletal muscle in not only trained men but also older adults. J. Trommelen et.al. shows us that protein synthesis at night is minimal and is limited by the availability of BCAAs at the time. His research suggests that 40 g of protein ingestion prior to sleep is beneficial in increasing muscle mass gains and also in preventing the breakdown of skeletal muscle.
This protein has similar nutritional qualities to whey, however, is a bit thicker in consistency. This is because whey protein is manufactured out of casein protein. Like all proteins you can find many recipes. For casein, however, there are many dessert type recipes such as protein pudding or ice-cream.I have used this protein many times to supplement my night time snack of cheerio’s and peanut butter.
Flavor Choices
The diversity in flavors has grown faster than the fluoride treatment at a dentist’s office. Any flavor you can imagine is now a protein flavor. This is good and bad—and in my opinion is not necessary. In my opinion anything besides regular chocolate is too sweet. Vanilla and Strawberry sound delicious but are only good if you have a sweet tooth! When looking at these various flavors look at the sugar content and the type of sweeteners that they use as they are typically artificial. Start off basic and with a small quantity (2.5lb vs 5lb container) so you don’t waste your money.
For hints on where to buy protein for the best selection and price please read “The Protein Hunt.”
Citations:
Khan, Kishwar. (2010). Whey protein and its application to human. J. ournal of Experimental Sciences.
Trommelen, J., & van Loon, L. J. C. (2016). Pre-Sleep Protein Ingestion to Improve the Skeletal Muscle Adaptive Response to Exercise Training. Nutrients, 8(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8120763
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