Casein is a great form of protein to aid in slower digestion and optimize muscle growth and repair.
Protein is an essential macronutrient found in all body tissues and it’s responsible for many of our bodily processes and the best casein protein powders can greatly affect your health and performance. It is composed of amino acids which are the building blocks of muscle mass and it’s important we supply our bodies with enough. Protein is responsible for chemical reactions in the body but it’s a must for muscle growth, repair, performance, and even body fat and weight management. Casein protein, a type of milk protein, differs from whey in that it’s slow digesting, but both are milk-based and we’ll discuss some differences. Casein protein contains all of the essential amino acids needed to build muscle mass, including leucine. Casein protein is the main protein found in cow’s milk, and is what gives milk its white color. Typically, casein protein is sold as protein powder and may be used by weight lifters, athletes, or people looking to increase their protein intake.
In this post, we’ve tested and put together a list of the Best Casein Protein Powders for 2024 so you can build muscle and enhance all areas of your health, training, and performance.
Best Casein Protein For 2024
- Best Casein Overall: Transparent Labs ProteinSeries 100% Grass-Fed Casein Protein
- Best Casein For Muscle Recovery: Kaged Muscle Kasein
- Best Casein For Mixing: Legion Casein+
- Best Casein For Digestion: Kaged Muscle Kasein
- Best Casein For Athletes: Transparent Labs ProteinSeries 100% Grass-Fed Casein Protein
Best Casein Overall
The best casein overall will be of the highest quality and from a company who prides themselves on honesty and transparency. The best option overall would be packed with the right nutrients and plenty of protein, so your growth and recovery needs can be met.
Transparent Labs ProteinSeries 100% Grass-Fed Casein Protein
Transparent Labs ProteinSeries 100% Grass-Fed Casein Protein is the cleanest casein protein powder with 25g protein and only 120 calories.
| Calories | 120 |
| Protein | 25g |
| Carbs | 4g |
| Fat | 0.5g |
| Sugar | 3g |
| Flavors | Chocolate, Vanilla |
| Number Of Servings | 30 |
Transparent Labs ProteinSeries 100% Grass-Fed Casein Protein is the cleanest gluten-free naked casein powder around providing essential amino acids, including sunflower lecithin, to keep you anabolic up to 8 hours. Micellar casein works great to support muscle growth and recovery throughout the night and this powder is gentle on your stomach and tastes great. A fully transparent and honest label, this supplement contains no artificial sweeteners, colors, or preservatives and has 25g of casein hydrolysate protein with just 120 calories.
Pros
- Clean and effective micellar casein supplement
- 25g protein and low in calories with just 120
- No artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives
Cons
- Premium priced option
- Only available directly from their website
Price: $59.00/ 30 servings
Read our full review of Transparent Labs ProteinSeries 100% Grass-Fed Casein Protein.
Best Casein For Muscle Recovery
For those looking to recover faster, the right casein products have the ability pump you with protein to alleviate soreness and repair those worn down muscles.
Kaged Muscle Kasein
Kaged Muscle Kasein is for those looking to combat muscle breakdown throughout the night with 25g protein and 120 calories.
| Calories | 120 |
| Protein | 25g |
| Carbs | 3g |
| Fat | 0.5g |
| Sugar | 1g |
| Flavors | Vanilla Shake, Chocolate Shake |
| Number Of Servings | 27 |
Kaged Muscle Kasein is for anyone looking combat muscle breakdown with the best supplement for nighttime recovery. This casein is an ultra-premium cold-processed micellar casein isolate carefully manufactured with a micro-filtration process. This ensures the structural integrity of the protein so you get the best casein around. This slow digesting protein works to keep you in an anti-catabolic state, improve muscle recovery, and maximize muscle gains. A clean and fully disclosed formula offers 25g protein and 120 calories for a great casein recovery supplement.
Pros
- Great for nighttime recovery and avoiding muscle breakdown
- Great for digestion
- Carefully manufactured with a microfiltration process
- Clean and fully disclosed label
Cons
- Taste is okay on some flavors
- A bit pricey for the number of servings
Price: $34.99/ 27 servings
Best Casein For Mixing
It is always a pain when you have a powder that just won’t mix well in your blender bottle, sometimes it comes out too lumpy or too watery, or even the powder will simply not mix. Having the right casein powder to mix with any beverage can alleviate this problem.
Legion Casein+
Legion Casein+ is natural grass-fed micellar casein with 26g protein and 120 calories.
| Calories | 120 |
| Protein | 26g |
| Carbs | 2g |
| Fat | 0g |
| Sugar | 0g |
| Flavors | Vanilla, Banana Cream Pie, Milk Chocolate, Strawberry |
| Number Of Servings | 30 servings |
Legion Casein+ is a 100% natural grass-fed micellar casein protein powder made with milk from sustainable dairy farms in Ireland. With some of the healthiest and cleanest milk in the world being used for this supplement, you can be sure your overall health and performance are kept in mind. Naturally flavored and sweetened, this casein contains no artificial food dyes with a transparent label. A high protein powder, this comes with 26g protein, 120 calories, and 0g sugar.
Legion takes pride in producing a casein protein powder — Casein+ — that’s made from milk sourced from small, sustainable Irish milk farms. The brand works with farms that are certified by Ireland’s Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme, which requires adherence to high standards for animal welfare, traceability, and soil and grass management practices. If you have lactose intolerance, Casein+ can be a suitable choice for you as it contains no lactose, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of casein protein without any digestive discomfort.
Pros
- Sourced from some of the best milk in the world
- Naturally flavored and sweetened for no added nonsense
- Great amount of protein with 0g sugar
Cons
- Servings could be better for the price
Price: $49.99/ 30 servings
Best Casein For Digestion
Digestion is important and many protein powders can cause stomach discomfort. Having a casein protein powder that works well for digestion will allow these nutrients to hit you more efficiently without any discomfort.
Kaged Muscle Kasein
Kaged Muscle Kasein is for those looking to combat muscle breakdown throughout the night with 25g protein and 120 calories.
| Calories | 120 |
| Protein | 25g |
| Carbs | 3g |
| Fat | 0.5g |
| Sugar | 1g |
| Flavors | Vanilla Shake, Chocolate Shake |
| Number Of Servings | 27 |
Kaged Muscle Kasein is making the list again, this time for our top choice of a good digesting casein. For anyone that has digestion or gut issues, this is a great solution. As stated above, this casein is an ultra-premium cold-processed micellar casein isolate carefully manufactured with a micro-filtration process. This ensures the structural integrity of the protein so you get the best casein around. This slow digesting protein works to keep you in an anti-catabolic state, improve muscle recovery, and maximize muscle gains, and it is easy on the stomach. A clean and fully disclosed formula offers 25g protein and 120 calories for a great casein recovery supplement.
Pros
- Great for nighttime recovery and avoiding muscle breakdown
- Great for digestion
- Carefully manufactured with a microfiltration process
- Clean and fully disclosed label
Cons
- Taste is okay on some flavors
- A bit pricey for the number of servings
Price: $34.99/ 27 servings
Best Casein For Athletes
Recovery is a huge part of performance, and athletes looking to optimize these things need the right supplements and a great casein protein powder can do just that. With quality ingredients, all your needs can be taken care of with no problem at all for the best results.
Transparent Labs ProteinSeries 100% Grass-Fed Casein Protein
Transparent Labs ProteinSeries 100% Grass-Fed Casein Protein is the cleanest casein protein powder with 25g protein and only 120 calories.
| Calories | 120 |
| Protein | 25g |
| Carbs | 4g |
| Fat | 0.5g |
| Sugar | 3g |
| Flavors | Chocolate, Vanilla |
| Number Of Servings | 30 |
Transparent Labs ProteinSeries 100% Grass-Fed Casein Protein is again on the list, this time it is for the best casein for athletes! It the cleanest casein powder around, also providing essential amino acids to keep you anabolic up to 8 hours. After a day of intense training or other athletics, this is the perfect option.
Micellar casein works great to support muscle growth and recovery throughout the night and this powder is gentle on your stomach and tastes great. A fully transparent and honest label, this supplement contains no artificial sweeteners, colors, or preservatives, which is are all factors that matter to an athlete who is focused on their diet! Also, it has 25g protein with just 120 calories.
Pros
- Clean and effective micellar casein supplement
- 25g protein and low in calories with just 120
- No artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives
Cons
- Premium priced option
- Only available directly from their website
Price: $59.00/ 30 servings
Read our full review of Transparent Labs ProteinSeries 100% Grass-Fed Casein Protein.
Benefits Of Casein Protein Powder
The benefits of taking a casein protein powder can greatly affect your health and performance as you look to maximize growth and recovery. Benefits of casein include:
- High quality protein: Casein offers a high-quality source of protein for all your overnight needs when it comes to building muscle and enhancing recovery.
- Assist weight loss: This can keep you full and curb cravings while keeping your body active while you sleep for a better metabolism (1).
- Support muscle retention: By giving your body continued fuel to grow, you allow yourself to keep on that hard earned muscle for added definition (2).
- Enhance growth and recovery: As a great source of protein, you allow your body the necessary nutrients to keep your muscles growing and to enhance recovery.
Casein Vs. Whey Protein
There are plenty of studies which prove casein supports muscle protein synthesis (MPS) for extended periods, whereas whey is more instantaneous for MPS (3,4).
Micellar casein protein is the most popular and common form which has many bioactive peptides that are beneficial for digestive and immune health. Plus, it contains all nine amino acids (building blocks of the body) (5). One study found that casein (more than 30g) before bed can improve resting metabolic rate and possibly resistance exercise the following morning. Research also shows that protein improved satiety and weight control and side effects can be minimized by consuming healthy amounts (6). And more research on casein protein has pretty much concluded that it’s effective for the prevention of muscle tissue breakdown overnight (7).
Whey protein also contains all of the essential amino acids and it’s better for short term protein synthesis, especially after a tough workout to give your muscles fuel to grow and repair. But each protein source has its own advantages. However, a blend of casein and whey is very beneficial as an all-around source of muscle-building nutrition.
How We Choose
When choosing the best casein protein powders, we look at a number of factors because your health and overall performance matter. We first look at the brand and the reputation of the brand because you deserve to have a company working on your behalf. We then look at the amount of macronutrients, how much sugar (if any), and other nutritional information because it is possible to find the right casein product without any added nonsense to hurt your health. We then look at price. Supplements can get expensive but it is possible to find a great product at an affordable price to see great gains.
FAQ Section
What is the best casein protein powder?
Transparent Labs ProteinSeries 100% Grass-Fed Casein Protein. This is the cleanest casein powder around providing essential amino acids to keep you anabolic up to 8 hours. A fully transparent and honest label, this supplement contains no artificial sweeteners, colors, or preservatives and has 25g protein with just 120 calories.
When should I take casein?
It is best to take casein right before bed as this will work as a slow digesting protein to aid in growth and repair throughout the night. It will provide continued fuel for your body throughout the night.
Is casein better than whey?
Both work for your benefit in different ways so it is important to know what you’re trying to get out of each. Whey is great to take post-workout as it will hit you faster to provide fuel for your muscles to grow and repair. Casein is slower digesting so taking this at night works to promote overnight repair.
Wrap Up
The best casein protein powders are very effective for muscle protein synthesis due to the slow release of nutrients. And anyone serious about their fitness goals should use casein in combination with a quality whey protein for optimal results. Protein is essential for building muscle and maintaining a healthy weight but sometimes we don’t get enough through food. So, these casein products can help you fill the gap and provide nutrients even when you’re sleeping. Casein protein is one of the many forms and it has plenty of additional naturally-occurring, beneficial nutrients for a complete source.
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References
- Leidy, H.; Clifton, P.; Astrup, A.; Wycherley, T. (2015). “The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance”. (source)
- Tipton, K.; Elliott, T.; Cree, M.; Wolf, S.; et al. (2004). “Ingestion of Casein and Whey Proteins Results in Muscle Anabolism after Resistance Exercise”. (source)
- Phillips, S.; Tang, J.; Moore, D. (2009). “The role of milk- and soy-based protein in support of muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein accretion in young and elderly persons”. (source)
- Hoffman, J.; Falvo, M. (2004). “Protein- Which is Best?”. (source)
- Mohanty, D.; Mohapatra, S.; Misra, S.; Sahu, P. (2016). “Milk derived bioactive peptides and their impact on human health- A review”. (source)
- Pesta, D.; Samuel, V. (2014). “A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: mechanisms and possible caveats”. (source)
- Res, P.; Groen, B.; Pennings, B.; Beelen, M.; et al. (2012). “Protein ingestion before sleep improves postexercise overnight recovery”. (source)
