Whey vs Casein vs Egg White Protein????

[Miguel_1989]

Hey everybody,

first post onthis forum, bought some protein mixes off the main site last week and it wrked pretty well. Since then I've been lookin around and reading about diff kinds of protein... seem like whey is no.1, but if whey is the best how come so many mixes use casein + egg white? are they diff or can i just keep takin whey? how much almost all ofthem have whey?

thanks

[Tyson@nutritionfix.com]

Hey Miguel,

thanks for posting and welcome aboard.

Figure the difference between whey and casein protein is a little like the difference between a shot of homemade corn likker grandpa keeps in the basement and, say, a really nice glass of 1995 Chateau Margaux Wine. Both contain about the same amount of alcohol, but the difference is with Grandpa's corn liquor you're bound to slam that shot back straight away and feel the effects immediately, whereas with the 1995 Margaux you're bound to sip it over a long period of time.

Now apply that to protein- whey is a fast-acting protein, which is why people like to take it immediately before a workout. It gives you a pretty fast rush of amino acids, which is going to jumpstart protein synthesis and sustain muscle growth and prevent breakdown during your actual workout. It's got a pretty great amino acid profile, goes to work quickly, and just like gramps' moonshine it's the cheapest stuff available, which is why most protein mixes use it.

Casein, like your Margaux, is going to last longer though. The benefit of it is that while it gives you a much slower and less intense rush of amino acids (like your fancy sippin' wine), it will continue working for hours after the workout, giving you a slow steady stream of amino acids, and generally helps speed up your recovery and muscle building process for hours afterwards. It's also more expensive.

Now because they complement each other pretty well, a lot of protein mixes will combine the two together, together with some artificial flavouring to make it go down smooth-(ish), and voila- you've got a pretty long lasting protein mix that also gives you an intense rush of aminos before your workout. So it's a pretty good combination to have both whey and casein together at once. That's where the booze analogies end though- if I hear of y'all doing anything so stupid as mixing corn liquor and 1995 Margaux, I'll ring up the federales in a heartbeat and have grampa's corn liquor operation shut down before you can say hangover.

[Miguel_1989]

lol thanks...i think i get it...

but then do i need to take casein...couldn't i just take whey protein a few times a day??? and why are there added ingredients in the protein mixes? and egg white protein?

[Tyson@nutritionfix.com]

Hey Miguel,

The conventional wisdom of what's best depends a little bit on whom you ask. It's pretty common for people to only use whey, and they'll often take it immediately before and after workouts, and sometimes later in the day too. Other people get better results with a whey/casein combo.

Egg white protein is a great source as well, but as most of us aren't really into doing the whole Rocky thing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhkdLHSKo9s), it's included in some of the mixes. It's particularly high in Arginine, which is a pretty important amino acid for working out. On the other hand, egg white protein is one of the more expensive proteins out there, so it often is left out, because it sometimes is perceived as not having a high enough benefit/cost ratio.

As for other ingredients in protein blend, most often you're looking at extra BCAAs and L-Glutamine, which are already contained in other kinds of proteins, but since they're so important to muscle building and recovery they're added in extra quantities.

Cheers,

Tyson

[Misterstrong82]

I take BSn Syntha-6, and i think it works pretty great... http://www.nutritionfix.com/bsn-syntha-6-chocolate-milkshake-2-91lb.html ... thats the one i use. as the guy said its all up to you but your better to get a good mix of protein in one tub... i used to take just whey multiple times a day but i find this works better... anyway good luck Miguel and don't give up