What happens to your body after drinking different types of protein?
Aminoacidemia following ingestion of native whey protein, micellar casein, and a whey-casein blend in young men.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The whey-casein blend performed just as well as pure whey in boosting amino acids.
It's commonly believed that adding slower-digesting casein to whey would reduce the speed and magnitude of amino acid delivery. This study shows no drop-off—suggesting synergy or no interference.
Practical Takeaways
Choose whey or a 1:1 whey-casein blend if your goal is to maximize essential amino acid levels in the blood after a workout.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The whey-casein blend performed just as well as pure whey in boosting amino acids.
It's commonly believed that adding slower-digesting casein to whey would reduce the speed and magnitude of amino acid delivery. This study shows no drop-off—suggesting synergy or no interference.
Practical Takeaways
Choose whey or a 1:1 whey-casein blend if your goal is to maximize essential amino acid levels in the blood after a workout.
Publication
Journal
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme
Year
2019
Authors
Daniel A. Traylor, S. Gorissen, Hannah Hopper, T. Prior, C. McGlory, Stuart M Phillips
Related Content
Claims (4)
Whey protein gives you a quick spike in amino acids in your blood, while casein keeps levels up longer — but overall, they give your body about the same amount of fuel, and neither one boosts muscle or energy-cell growth more during sleep.
If a young guy drinks a shake with 25 grams of whey protein, his body absorbs more essential amino acids over 6 hours compared to drinking the same amount of casein protein.
If a young guy drinks a protein shake with a mix of whey and casein, his body absorbs the important amino acids about as well as with pure whey—and better than with pure casein—over the next 6 hours.
If young guys drink a protein shake with micellar casein, their bodies show lower levels of key amino acids after eating compared to when they drink whey or a mix of whey and casein — based on blood tests over 6 hours.