Is micellar casein, cottage cheese or plain protein better at night?

You'd be hard pressed to find a topic that would divide modern bodybuilding fans the way eating cottage cheese before bed does. On one side stand the people who, due to lack of finances, were drawing on cottage cheese before 50% of their daily intake ofof their protein intake, on the other are the die-hard opponents who would never ingest this dairy product.

Well, given that our recently released micellar casein test got a really good response, we thought we'd do a review article on how micellar casein compares to cottage cheese or regular whey protein. So you can find all the comparisons and our personal view on cottage cheese in this article.

Micellar casein - the ideal bedtime option?

The best ever source of protein you can take before bed is micellar casein.

When it enters the stomach after drinking it, it becomes a gelatinous gel and this is only very slowly released into the intestines where it is absorbed. For some caseins, the digestion process takes up to 8 hours, which means that the muscles are supplied throughout the night and are not at risk of catabolism. Unlike whey protein, which tends to be made by microfiltration, casein supplements are made by ultrafiltration (the difference is essentially only in the size of the ceramic filter), but also thanks to this, lactose and most other substances preventing perfect usability are removed from the product.

Unfortunately, casein and caseinate are not the same thing

While we are on the subject of micellar casein, we must not forget its "alternatives", which aremanufacturers like to use as a cheap substitute - especially calcium caseinate and sodium caseinate.

These two components are formed with the help of chemical reagents (hydroxides), resulting in the protein is easily degraded and the body eliminates more protein than it uses. Calcium and sodium caseinates can be found in both low-quality overnight proteins and some protein bars. In both cases, I recommend avoiding these products out of hand.

How and when to take casein?

Most articles agree that our metabolism can process and utilize between 5-10g of protein per hour. Theoretically speaking, this means that the upper limit of what you can process would be up to 80g of protein. In practice, however, instead of muscle mass, all you would have is intestinal distress.

Therefore, it is sufficient to take 25g of casein before bedtime. You won't put as much strain on your digestion, and you won't risk excess protein.

Whey protein - a suitable alternative or a complete waste?

The second option for supplementation before bedtime is whey protein.

Compared to micellar casein, its absorption is much faster, but it is still a valuable source of protein. Not to mention that quality whey protein comes at a much better price than micellar casein.

Is it a good choice for bedtime?

Yes and no. On the one hand, it is quickly digested and many experts believe that the digestive system needslike the kidneys, for example, needs to rest, so it's not a good idea to let it digest micellar casein all night. On the other hand, whey protein is digested so quickly that it is not necessary to digest it before going to bed.m almost unnecessary if you have sufficient protein intake during the day.

Should I choose concentrate, isolate, or hydrolysate?

If you've ever been interested in whey protein, you'll have noticed that it is based on the rate of digestion, we can divide them into three categories, concentrates, isolates and hydrolysates. But if you don't know which one to use when, the following table will definitely help you:

As you can see, concentrate is the best choice at bedtime. While you can take basically any protein, concentrate comes out cheapestand in the case of sleep, we don't care too much about the speed of protein digestion.

Cottage cheese - a cheap substitute for nutritional supplements?

The last option for a protein dinner that we'll cover in today's article is cottage cheese. This contains a full spectrum of amino acids, some vitamins and minerals in addition to casein. Plus, it is a very cheap protein. But it has its negatives.

The biggest one is its problematic digestibility. This is highly individual, because while some bodybuildersbuild their protein intake on it (he included it in his diet for example Petr Vaniš, Pavol Jablonický and others), others suffer from bloating and intestinal problems after consuming cottage cheese. The answer to the question of whether or not to eat it is up to each of you - if you have digestive problems, definitely it's not a good idea to force cottage cheese down your throat, but if it suits you, it can be a good option for your second dinner.

In summary, cottage cheese is a worse choice than micellar casein in terms of digestion and utilization, but since it's cheaper, it's definitely an option for bedtime.

What about combining cottage cheese with protein?

Since cottage cheese alone doesn't taste very good, many exercisers tend to flavor it with protein. However, this combination is not ideal as it increases the total number ofwhich can cause bloating and even affect sleep quality. A much better option to flavour cottage cheese is to use calorie-free sweeteners, syrups or drops.

So what is the conclusion?

If you choose a good quality micellar casein, you can never go wrong because it is almost certain to meet your expectations. And when you break down the price of a whole packet of micellar casein into individual servings, the amount compared to cottage cheese is almost the same. For example, a dose of Pure Micellar Casein, which was the winner of our independent testing of overnight proteins, works out at £18. A tub of cottage cheese is only some cheaper. But the choice is of course up to each of you.

If you have any questions about today's topic, feel free to ask in the comments, we'll be happy to answer.

The best supplement for the night? Cottage cheese, micellar casein or plain protein? (Video):