One of the true heroes of the gym is actually what you bring with you. No, we’re not talking about attitude or determination. This isn’t a motivational poster.

We’re talking about your Protein powder. In fact, the best source of powerful muscle-building growth comes from casein protein.

You’re probably wondering what casein protein does? Fair question. And what is casein protein good for?

First off, it’s the highest quality of any protein sources you can find. It provides your body with a steady stream of amino acids to build muscle mass, increase fat loss, and improve your metabolic rate.

That’s pretty good all from a glass of milk. Yes, milk is one of the most common sources of casein protein, but we’ll get into that later on.

If you’re into bodybuilding or you just generally want to lose weight and promote good muscle growth, look no further than this power-packed punch of protein.

Casein Protein Shakes

One search online for casein protein product recommendations yields over 20,000,000 results. Yikes! How are you supposed to responsibly decide which is the best casein protein?

We’ve done our best to give you some of the varieties that we prefer and have a great taste as well. We’ve tested vanilla casein protein, chocolate casein protein powder, and have even come across caramel, mint, and peanut butter casein protein powders. Yum!

But let’s see which ranks the highest in our opinion.

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Casein

This is the standard upon which all other casein proteins aspire to reach. Optimum Nutrition produces high-quality muscle supplements and they’re known for doing it well.

The chocolate casein protein powder is a great taste which adds to the overall package of a powder you’ll not forget to take with you. The slow digesting, long-lasting casein provides you with an astonishing 24g of protein per serving.

Take it before bed, and you’ll have the benefit of an all-night attack on fat and building up muscle mass.

We’re fans of Optimum Nutrition, and we wouldn’t stray too far from this brand of powerful protein.

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Matrix Nutrition Micellar Casein Protein Powder

If you’re concerned about your protein intake, and you’re serious about supplementing your diet, this tub of Matrix Nutrition should serve you well.

You’re going to get a whopping 31.5g of protein per serving.

That’s an incredible amount.

#To give you an idea of how much protein that is, it’s the equivalent of drinking almost 5 glasses of milk in one serving just to equal the same amount of casein.

The strawberry flavour is excellent, getting rave reviews online for tasting great in an after workout shake or smoothie. Add bananas or oats to get a full meal replacement if you want something convenient and on the go.

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Bulk Powders Micellar Casein Protein Powder

Free from unnecessary packaging or promotion, Bulk Powders focuses on doing one thing; giving you the best casein protein in a pouch.

This protein supplement does away with the standard fillers found in other powders and gives you 90% pure protein powder with each serving.

You get 25g of protein powder and only 1g of carbs for those who are maintaining a low carb diet.

This makes Bulk Powders perfect for keto or paleo diets.

Although this comes in strawberry or chocolate, you can also get an unflavoured version for the purists who prefer to make up their own protein smoothies.

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Pink Sun Organic Micellar Casein Powder

We’ve also included an organic casein protein powder on our list. We understand that for the health-conscious readers, they might prefer an option that was sourced ethically and organically, free from any additives or chemicals.

Pink Sun produces a wide range of supplements like whey or casein protein powders.

Each serving gives you 12g of protein, which isn’t as much as our other options.

You can, however, be confident your protein powder is free from added sugars, sweeteners, hormones or flavouring. You still get that slow-release of protein directly to your muscles, but you aren’t flooding your body with anything you don’t want either.

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Casein Protein Bars

If you can’t manage to drink a smoothie in one gulp, or you just don’t have the time to measure it all out and mix it up, we still have something to help you out.

You can still choose a casein protein source, offering you the same benefits and features as a powder, but all in a convenient bar form.

We’ve included our best product recommendations for casein protein bars that you can enjoy on the go.

Just a word about protein bars. The majority of protein bars use some form of milk proteins in their makeup, which does include a mixture of casein and whey.

This does make for an effective, powerful combination that is sure to power you through your day. You still get the slow-release benefit of a casein protein.

PowerBar Protein Plus

There’s a reason that you still see PowerBar on the shelves, even though it’s been around for years.

It’s still one of the best producers of high protein bars on the market. And they’ve done well in producing an extremely protein-dense bar that you can take with you everywhere you go.

If you’re at the gym, the office, or simply trying to curb a craving at home, the PowerBar offers a milk protein source of nearly 11g from just one bar. That’s an abundant amount in bar form that doesn’t even taste like you’re eating healthy.

The chocolate brownie taste doesn’t hurt either when trying to find a way to supplement your diet with extra protein. We’re confident that you’ll love this offering from PowerBar, no matter what time of day you need it.

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Weider 32% Protein Bars

Without messing around, Weider puts out a high-performance protein bar that focuses on getting the good stuff inside you. More protein and less of anything else you don’t need.

You’re going to get a 60g protein bar that tastes great (Banana or Strawberry), and gives you an incredible 19g of mostly casein protein. As long as it’s a part of a balanced diet, they recommend this being a part of your daily ritual of protein intake.

Weider doesn’t try and convince you that they’re something they’re not.

They brand their intention right on the package; 32% Protein. That’s their promise and their delivery.

Sourced from milk proteins, you’re getting a healthy dose of fat-fighting, muscle-making protein that doesn’t quit, even long after you’ve had your last bite.

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Grenade Carb Killa Bars

And it’s tough for us to go past the Grenade brand of protein bars. They always over-deliver when they put out a protein bar supplement.

We like them for protein quality, we like them for low carb diets, and we like them for pure flavour.

Many of the testers felt they weren’t even eating a protein bar because it tasted so good and natural. The caramel flavour was just one option, with almost a dozen other varieties to try if we ever got bored.

The bar also gave us the most casein protein per bite, almost 23g in a single bar. That’s on par with some of the protein powders we favour as well.

And with reduced sugar and carbs, we’re pretty sure you won’t feel guilty chowing one of these down at 3pm on a slow afternoon. Get that benefit of a slow-acting casein protein in a bar that doesn’t even feel like you’re making a healthy choice.

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Casein Protein Benefits

We touched on it earlier, but let us take a moment to expand on the casein protein benefits you’re going to love.

First off, casein protein is just one of the protein powders that affect muscle growth and mass retention.

Its first benefit is that casein acts incredibly slowly. It works to release those amino acids your muscles are craving in a slow 8-hour release that provides benefits long after you’ve put down the last weight.  It digests slowly and acts slowly, a good partner for whey, the other milk protein that acts quickly on your muscle mass.

Second, it boosts your metabolic rate, increasing the speed at which your body burns energy. Studies show that people with a higher calcium intake (calcium caseinate being the form of casein we’re eating) experience faster energy burn and increasing fat loss.

We also love that casein acts to increase the protein synthesis of your muscles. When you work to muscle failure, you’re triggering the body to rebuild the tissue. When you supplement casein protein, you’re boosting the source of protein synthesis; amino acids. Take an additional amino acid or two, and your body builds stronger bigger muscles.

Casein Protein Side Effects

Your intake should be monitored and regulated by the amount of activity you do. If you’re higher performing athlete, you require more casein protein to experience results.

But casein does have its side effects. Watch for symptoms of excessive usage which include reduced immune response, bloating, or heartburn.

You should, as a guide, try to aim for 1g/kg of body mass intake.

Please consult a physician before attempting to create a supplement schedule for your body.

Natural Casein Protein

As we mentioned earlier, casein is the naturally occurring protein found in milk.

Ever heard of curds and whey? Casein is the ‘curds’ of milk. In fact, it makes up over 80% of the protein found in milk. It’s also found in many other milk products like cheese, yoghurt and natural butter.

The casein is in its highest concentration in cottage cheese and natural ‘Greek-style’ yoghurt.

In fact, one of the best ways to get casein to act in your body is to eat a milk-product right before bed, allowing the slow-acting proteins to release during the night while you rest your muscles.

Consuming one glass of milk should give you 7-8g of casein, which is why it’s always beneficial to use a supplement if you’re actively looking to boost your casein intake. If you want to meet the recommended amount, you’d have to consume 12 glasses of milk each day just to meet your high-performance needs.

If you want to see the benefits of taking a casein protein supplement, try one of the best casein protein powders that we’ve listed above. You should see results quickly and you’ll enjoy the long-lasting effects that casein protein has on your body.

Now, let’s get to the gym!

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