For many people consuming a post workout protein shake has become
an after gym ritual. Still there’s some
controversy about what type of protein to take and when to drink your
shake. The two most common types of
shakes are casein (a slow acting protein typically found in mammalian milk) and
whey (a fast acting protein that is a by-product of dairy production like cheese). Fortunately a Danish study at Institute of
Sports Medicine Copenhagen has provided some interesting information.
In the study 17
men were split up into 3 groups a control group that got supplemented with
water, a group administered 20 g whey, and another that received 20 g of
casein. The men in the study were asked
to do 10 sets of 8 reps on a leg extension machine and immediately supplemented
with the control or protein dosage after the last set. The results showed that in the first 3 hours
after intake the muscle protein production was higher in the whey group than
the casein group and in the last 3 hours it was higher in the casein group. Over the course of the 6 hours the total
muscle group was about the same.[1]
A potential
inference someone can take from this study is that if they’re looking to
maximize muscle protein synthesis after a workout, supplementation of either
whey and casein simultaneously after a workout or supplementing whey in two 3
hour intervals post workout will be effective methods in ensuring the highest possible
levels of cellular muscle protein synthesis.
References
Reitelseder, S., Agergaard, J., Doessing, S., Helmark, I., Lund,
P., Kristensen, N., . . . Holm, L. (2010). Whey and casein labeled with
L-[1-13C]leucine and muscle protein synthesis: Effect of resistance exercise
and protein ingestion. AJP: Endocrinology and Metabolism.
About the Author
Erick Avila, owner of www.ergogenichealth.com a company that
provides individualized training programs and nutritional consultations for
athletic events and weight loss. Erick works as a strength & conditioning
coach/nutritionist with a variety of professional boxers including two ranked
in the top 50 of their respective weight divisions. He’s experienced
having worked in both sport and clinical settings, with focuses ranging from
general weight loss to hormonal optimization. Erick has bachelors degrees
in Exercise Science & Nutritional Science.
