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| Volume 1 | Issue 5 | July-Agu 2025                                   ARTICLE                                                                                            | Volume 1 | Issue 5 | July-Agu 2025


                                                                                                                                         Figure 1. Plasma amino acid response after whey (fast spike) and casein (slow plateau) intake.
                                                                                                                                                     Adapted from the classic fast-slow protein model (Boirieet al., 1997).
            Image Source: paleogrubs.com






















           Fast vs. Slow Proteins:



           Unlocking the Digestive                                                                                                Casein digests slowly mainly because of gastric clotting.   It empties from the
                                                                                                                                  In the acidic stomach, micellar casein forms a soft gel,
                                                                                                                                                                                      stomach faster and
                                                                                                                                  which delays gastric emptying and stretches out the   delivers amino acids
           Secrets of Casein and Whey                                                                                             release of amino acids.                             sooner than micellar
                                                                                                                                                                                      casein. Studies show it
                                                                                                                                  Formulation matters:
          by Swati Sangolgi & Sundram Singh,                                                                                      ·   Micellar casein (naturally occurring in milk) clots   may also affect appetite
                                                                                                                                                                                      regulation differently
          Master's (Animal Biochemistry), ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal                                            more                                              (Trommelenet al., 2020;
                                                                                                                                  ·   Sodium caseinate, which is more soluble and digests   Guerin et al., 2025).
                                     Abstract                  If you've ever had a whey shake after a workout and felt             faster.
                                     Milk's two main           a quick energy lift—or eaten cottage cheese at night and           Fat content and food structure also play a role. Solid or   3. Use Low-Fat, Liquid
                                     proteins—whey and         stayed full until morning—you've experienced the “fast             high-fat products like cheese digest more slowly than   Formats
                                     casein—share the same     vs. slow” protein effect.                                          low-fat liquids. For instance, casein in milk or shakes   Fat slows stomach   Sundram Singh
                                     origin but follow very    Whey protein digests quickly, ideal for muscle repair              digests faster than in yogurt or cheese.            emptying. A low-fat drink
                                     different digestive paths.   right after training. Casein digests more slowly, steadily      How to Make Casein Act Faster: Practical Strategies  containing casein digests faster than cheese, puddings,
                                     Whey is fast-acting:      delivering amino acids over time. That makes it better                                                                 or other solid dairy. Liquids also form weaker gastric
                                     quickly absorbed, rapidly   for overnight recovery or keeping hunger at bay during           1. Hydrolyzed Casein (Pre-digested)                 gels, allowing quicker protein transit (Loveday & Holroyd,
                                     raising blood amino acid   long gaps between meals.                                          Enzymatically breaking down casein into peptides    2023).
                                     levels and triggering     The reason? It's all in how these proteins behave in the           speeds up absorption. Hydrolyzed casein behaves much   4. Blend with Whey
                                     muscle growth. Casein,    stomach. Casein forms a gel that slows gastric emptying.           more like whey, triggering a faster amino acid rise and   Combining whey and casein provides a quick amino acid
                                     by contrast, digests      Whey stays liquid and passes through quickly (Figure 1).           stronger satiety response (Bendtsen et al., 2014).   spike from whey, and sustained release from casein.
              Swati Sangolgi         slowly. It forms a gel in   These digestion profiles have been studied since the             Commercial hydrolyzed powders are widely available.  While it doesn't speed casein digestion itself, it improves
           the stomach, releasing amino acids steadily over hours.   1990s and still influence how dairy proteins are used in     2. Sodium Caseinate vs. Micellar Casein             early amino acid availability in the mix.
           These differences impact more than just athletic    nutrition today.                                                   Sodium caseinate is more soluble and less likely to clot.   5. Processing Innovations
           recovery—they affect satiety, energy release, and how   Understanding Fast vs. Slow Proteins
           proteins should be timed in meals and products.     The concept originates from Boirieet al. (1997), who               Table 1: Key Differences Between Whey               Techniques like heat treatment, homogenization, or pH
                                                                                                                                                                                      adjustment can reduce gastric clotting and enhance
           In this article, we explore how whey and casein behave   compared blood amino acid levels after consuming whey         and Casein Proteins                                 casein solubility. Many ready-to-drink casein beverages
           in the digestive system, and share science-backed   vs. casein. They found:                                            Feature        Whey (Fast)   Casein (Slow)          use these methods for better absorption (Horstman et
           strategies to make casein digest faster—such as                                                                                                                            al., 2023).
           hydrolysis, using sodium caseinate, choosing low-fat   ·   Whey: Amino acids peak quickly, promoting fast              Digestion Speed  20-40 min   6-7 hours
           liquid carriers, and applying specific processing     muscle protein synthesis.                                        Amino Acid     Sharp spike   Steady plateau         What About Fermented Dairy and Enzyme?
           techniques.                                         ·   Casein: Amino acids rise more slowly but stay                  Response                                            Fermented products like yogurt and kefir begin breaking
           Introduction: Why Speed Matters in Protein            elevated longer, helping prevent muscle breakdown.               Satiety        Short-term    Long-lasting           down casein thanks to microbes, increasing small
           Digestion                                           Why Casein is Slow: Clotting, Form, and Fat                        Best use       Post-workout   Bedtime/long fasting  peptides and amino acid content. But these products are


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