| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lean Mass Casein protein supports lean mass gains with resistance training similar to whey; some evidence for better fat loss with casein. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 150 people |
Supplement
Calcium caseinate is a milk protein, made by binding casein to calcium, that supplies amino acids the body uses to build and repair muscle. People mostly look at it for muscle size and strength, and the evidence is moderate: it stimulated muscle protein synthesis about as well as whey over 24 hours, and gains alongside resistance training were similar. Evidence for appetite is limited, with some studies finding it filled people up more than whey.
- Updated
- How we grade
- 5 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade B
- Conditions studied
- 3
- Outcomes
- 3
- Graded outcomes
- 0210
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle Protein Synthesis Casein stimulates MPS comparably to whey over 24h despite lower acute peak. With resistance training, muscle gains are similar to whey protein. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 200 people |
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satiety Casein increases satiety more than whey in some studies due to slower gastric emptying and prolonged gut hormone release. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 100 people |
Key findings
- Muscle Protein SynthesisImproves (the measure goes up)
- Lean MassImproves (the measure goes up)
- SatietyImproves (the measure goes up)
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Third-party tested Calcium Caseinate products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.
- Grade B
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Studies cited
5 studies from PubMed
- A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults
- Presleep protein ingestion to improve the skeletal muscle adaptive response to exercise training
- Ingestion of casein and whey proteins result in muscle anabolism after resistance exercise
- Casein and whey exert different effects on plasma amino acid profiles, gastrointestinal hormone secretion and appetite
- Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion