Lately articles fighting over whey or casein have bombarded us bodybuilders. Some say that casein is all you need, others say whey is all you need. In this article I am going to go over a few of the most common and popular proteins and when they should be used.
Casein
First let's start with Casein. Calcium Caseinate is derived from fresh skim milk. It is comprised of 92% protein and is found in your common weight gainers for that thick taste. Casein is very very slow to digest, thus it leaves a constant flow of aminos through your blood stream long after you take it in. This eliminates a catabolic environment, which is very important. Casein is simple and common and it is a must for any serious bodybuilder.
Whey Protein
Now let's get on to what everybody wants to hear about: Whey Protein. I am going to go over those different types of wheys and their filtration process.
Whey Concentrate
Let's start with Whey concentrate. Derived from sweet dairy whey. Most of the fat and lactose and other unwanted materials are removed. Depending on the quality and cost, WPC can yield a protein ratio of 34 to 89 grams of protein per 100 grams of whey.
It retains a high quantity of BCAA. It is comprised of about 80% protein, 5% moisture, 4% fat and 3% carbos. Because of the cost to quantity this is the most commonly used source of protein by the bodybuilding community. Bloating comes along with use of WPC.
Whey Protein Isolate
Well what's better than WPC you ask, because all your 200-pound tubs of protein you just bought at some auction for $5 plus shipping. I will tell you. Whey protein Isolate is better. Isolate is filtered better from fresh sweet dairy to yield a higher protein percentage and leave out the fat, carbs, ash and moisture. It usually yields about +95% protein depending on the filtration process.
Filtration
Let's get into the different types of WPI filtrations:
Ion Exchange Whey Isolate:
First let's start with Ion Exchange Whey Isolate. This process uses the proteins electrical charge to react with its reagents to filter out only the protein. It tastes well, mixes easily and is just above moderately prices.
Microfiltration Whey Isolate:
Cross-flow ultra filtration and advanced micro filtration is used to make this protein highly soluble and retain a higher level of calcium. It yields a good proportion of BCAA's and is an excellent source of fuel. It is good for some quick protein absorption in the morning. It costs about the same as IEWPI.
Cross-Flow-Microfiltration Whey Isolate:
Here is the big winner of them all. The best source of protein available is Cross-Flow-Microfiltration Whey Isolate. Cross-flow microfiltration possess more calcium and less sodium than ion-exchange. This protein is not touched by chemicals so it is left in its original state, it contains some protein fractions that no other protein contains, to a serious bodybuilder these fractions are crucial to gaining solid muscle fast and speeding up recovery.
A lot of the other information about why CFMWI is so much better has a lot of big words in it; if you need more of an explanation email me and I will provide it.
Here is something important. CFMWI is patented by Avenmore/Waterford. If your protein tub doesn't have that patent on it then it isn't CFMWI.
It usually costs about twice as much as other whey's, but it is definitely worth the money.
When To Use What
Remember that Casein is slow to digest and whey is quick. My recommendation is to use mainly calcium caseinate in between meals (still use whey with this, about half and half) and just before bed (with added flax). Avoid it just after workouts
Hopefully this will be informational to start you road to planning protein intake and further enhancing your regimen. It is important to use high quality proteins to make your hard working muscles grow.