Micellar casein's unique property is pH-dependent gelation: at stomach pH (1.5-4), casein micelles aggregate into a semi-solid clot (the same chemistry that makes cheese). This clot digests slowly via pepsin, releasing amino acids over 5-7 hours. The sustained aminoacidemia maintains elevated blood leucine above the muscle protein synthesis threshold for much longer than whey (which spikes and crashes in 1-2 hours). For overnight recovery: pre-sleep casein provides amino acids throughout the 7-8 hour fasting period of sleep, preventing the catabolic state that occurs when blood amino acids drop below the synthesis threshold.
Independently graded against 178,763 indexed supplements and 757 reviewed supplement and medication pairs, sourced from PubMed, FDA CAERS, openFDA, and NIH DSLD | Last updated:
Not medical advice. Based on published clinical research and systematic reviews.