How to Eat Casein Protein
Casein is a protein contained in milk and dairy products. It can take 2 1/2 to 4 hours to digest, which is a relatively long time. Because it breaks down slowly in the body, casein is good for producing a steady supply of protein in the blood, which is good for building muscles and preventing a catabolic state.
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Instructions
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Identify casein rich foods. Cheese, milk, cottage cheese and other dairy products are usually high in natural casein. Other forms of the protein, such as calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate or potassium caseinate, can be found in a variety of other foods, including protein powders, protein bars and other processed foods.
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Eat casein between meals. Early in the day, after hours of sleep, it's more desirable to consume digestible protein instead of the more slowly digesting casein. Casein is ideal between meals, however, when protein levels would otherwise start to ebb.
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Have casein before bed. If building muscle is the goal, the last thing you should eat before you go to bed should be high in casein. This will put a store of slow release protein in your stomach for the long hours of rest, and help stave off a catabolic state when you wake.
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Avoid casein post workout. The first meal after a workout should not include casein, but fast digesting proteins like whey.
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Tips & Warnings
For serious muscle development, it's recommended to eat 1 g of protein per pound of body weight. Casein, like lean meat, is a form of protein that is well suited for muscle growth, so should constitute a significant portion of total protein intake.
One drawback to natural casein sources is their high fat content. It's probably best to avoid fatty foods prior to sleep, so a casein supplement powder or bar might be the best choice at that time of day. Another risk with milk and other natural dairy products is that they contain residual pesticide from the cow's feed, growth hormones used to bulk up the animal and antibiotics used to prevent infections. Organic dairy products are usually free of these contaminants.
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- Photo Credit Stefan Kühn (CC-By-SA 2.5, 2.0, 1.0)
