Is Whey or Casein the More Effective Protein Post-Workout?

Whey and casein are the two proteins found in milk, and are of the most popular protein supplements on the market. Whey is considered the fast acting protein as it is digested quickly, whereas casein is digested more slowly bringing protein into the body over a longer period of time. Fabre et al. went a step further and instead of simply comparing whey versus casein, formed three different subject groups. The first supplemented 100% whey protein, the second 50% whey and 50% casein, and the third 20% whey and 80% casein. The protein was consumed immediately after training. The researchers found that although the 100% whey and 50-50 groups observed a higher level of leucine (an amino acid active in muscle repair) availability after training, the long term strength training induced effects of hypertrophy as well as dynamic and isometric muscle strength were the same across all groups.

In previous studies covered on this blog, we have found that more than anything else, supplementing protein and the total intake of protein are more important than any other factors including timing of ingestion or type of protein when it comes to maximizing adaptations to strength training. For very active athletes it is recommended to take up to 2.0g of protein per kg of body weight per day. Even ingesting amounts higher than that has not been found to be harmful, so whether it is whey or casein, be sure get enough protein in post workout.

You can find the article here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28422532