What is the difference between fast and slow proteins

It is well known that we can distinguish between fast carbohydrates and slow carbohydrates. What many people do not know, however, is that proteins are not all absorbed at the same speed. So there is indeed a difference between fast and slow proteins. And especially as a strength athlete it is important to be aware of that!

Why is it useful to know how quickly your proteins reach your muscles? Which proteins do we consider in the fast and slow category? And when is the best time to use slow or fast proteins? We will answer all these questions below!

Protein breakdown

When you eat proteins, they are of course not directly stuck to your muscle tissue. In order to use proteins for muscle growth, the body must first break them down into amino acids. Here are twenty of them, eleven of which your body can make itself, and nine should really get from your diet.
When you eat proteins, they are of course not directly stuck to your muscle tissue. In order to use proteins for muscle growth, the body must first break them down into amino acids. Here are twenty of them, eleven of which your body can make itself, and nine you really need to get from your diet. [! 192483 => 1140 = 3!] The amino acids are then absorbed into the blood and transported to organs and tissues throughout your body. There they can then be used to repair muscle tissue, for example. However, as with sugars, this entire process is not always handled quickly. With some proteins a kind of â € peak of amino acidsâ € ™ develops, whereas this is precisely not the case with others.

The amino acids are then absorbed into the blood and transported to organs and tissues throughout your body. Only then can they be used to repair muscle tissue, for example. However, as with sugars, this entire process is not always handled quickly. Some proteins create a kind of â € peak of amino acidsâ € ™, whereas this is precisely not the case with others.

The fastest protein we know is whey or whey, a protein that is mainly obtained from milk. It remains as a residual product after making cheese. Whey ensures a lightning-fast increase in the amount of amino acids in the blood. So the â € ˜building blocksâ € ™ reach your muscles almost immediately after consumption.

The disadvantage of that speed is that the operation is also ready very quickly: after an hour everything is already used up. Whey protein itself is not very concentrated in foods. It is only in milk, because calves use it to improve their immune system, for example. Fortunately, it is also isolated from that to use whey protein powder, more about that later.

Compared to the fast whey proteins, we have slower proteins, of which casein is the most important. This is also a protein that is found in milk, and that ends up in cheese, yoghurt and quark, for example. Casein forms a kind of small lump in your stomach after consumption. This makes digestion more difficult and therefore takes longer.
In contrast to the fast whey proteins, we have slower proteins, of which casein is the most important. This is also a protein that is found in milk, and that ends up in cheese, yoghurt and quark, for example. Casein forms a kind of small lump in your stomach after consumption. This makes digestion more difficult and therefore takes longer.

The amino acids of casein are released to your body over the course of several hours. This has the advantage that your muscles can recover slowly and for a long time. The disadvantage is of course also clear: if your muscles immediately need protein, casein is less beneficial.
The amino acids of casein are released into your body over the course of several hours. This has the advantage that your muscles can recover slowly and for a long time. The disadvantage is of course also clear: if your muscles immediately need protein, casein is less beneficial.

Now we have only talked about the two extremes for now: casein is the slowest protein, whey the fastest. When you just eat a meal with protein-rich ingredients, you usually end up somewhere in the middle. No protein-rich food contains fast or slow proteins. Moreover, meals also contain carbohydrates and fats, which further influence the speed of digestion.

You could say that meals as a whole tend more towards the slow proteins. It is precisely this variety of macros that ensures that the amino acids do not all arrive at your muscles within an hour. Moreover, the average meal contains very little whey protein.

For most people, it doesn't matter that much that their meals are neither really slow nor really fast. If you get enough protein throughout the day, that is enough for an average active athlete. Your muscles then have enough building blocks to recover from their training.
For most people, it doesn't really matter that their meals are neither really slow nor really fast. When you get enough protein throughout the day, that is enough for an average active athlete. Your muscles then have enough building blocks to recover from their training.

However, if you are a fanatic of sports, you may want to give your results an extra boost. You can do that, for example, by taking a high concentration of slow or fast proteins at the right times. In that case, protein shakes are really your best option. Especially when it comes to whey, you will simply never get such an amount of fast protein together!
However, if you exercise fanatically, you may want to give your results an extra boost. You can do that, for example, by taking a high concentration of slow or fast proteins at the right times. In that case, protein shakes are really your best option. Especially when it comes to whey, you will simply never get such an amount of fast protein together!

Protein shakes are not really necessary, but they can be useful. For the best results, it is of course important to take the right protein shakes at the right times. In short, there are the following important points to pay attention to:

Do you have a protein shake when you just woke up? Then go for fast proteins. You've fasted for a good eight hours at this point (if you get enough sleep, at least…), and your body is in desperate need of new building material. Choosing whey protein at this point will give your muscle recovery an immediate boost.

If you take one protein shake daily, it is best to schedule it after your workout. This is the moment when your body needs those proteins most. The training has caused damage to your muscles, and with a good amount of amino acids you can be sure that recovery will start well.

Again the best choice is to go for fast proteins! The best is a shake that also contains some carbohydrates. That way your glycogen stores are also immediately replenished.

Finally, there are also people who take a protein shake before going to bed. That's a time when slow proteins are the best choice. This way, your body has new amino acids available for a large part of the night, so that the muscle recovery can continue for as long as possible. Incidentally, a protein shake is not the only option for casein. You can also just have a bowl of cottage cheese, it also contains a lot of casein.