Customer Reviews

Optimum Nutrition 100% Casein Protein, Chocolate Creme, 4 Pound

5 star:		(131)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Yes I am science Guy so I would like to bring some scientific viewpoint, trying to keep my review Jargon free, or very simple for the least.

1. Do I need Casein Supplement.

Almost every Human being can benefit from Casein, however everyone DOES NOT need a Casein supplement. I would recommend this supplement only who is at intermediate or advance fitness levels (rest will do good with cottage cheese- provided you relish it). If you are a beginner, please stay from pure Casein supplement, its not the starting point by any mean and you will not get much benefit out of it. Beginners are better off with Whey only or blend supplements.

2. Hey is Casein better than Whey?

Yes and No. The big question is compared to What. If one is looking for a general protein source, then NO way. Caesin is not a well rounded and balanced protein, it is a specialized protein. In other words, its Amino Acid profile is not balanced. Its inclined towards recovery ( high Glutamine and Anti Catabloic properties). Lastly its Biological value is only 77 compared to 104 of Whey.

However, what it does for the body, no other protein can. It digests very very slow and release rich amount of Glutamine and other Amino acids which helps you recover and stay Anabolic.

3. What is Special about ON Casein

First and foremost, its not exactly the most delicious and consistent protein by nature. Nothing that ON can do to change it, this is the nature of Casein. But, what ON does is that it gives you the best of Casein, the Micellar Casein. Making it the best Casein protein supplement in the market.

4. Whats the heck with Casein and Why is Casein protein more expensive than Whey?

This is a fair question since, out of all the protein in Milk, 80% is Casein and 20% is Whey. This means Casein should be cheaper. ...Not exactly, out of the total casein, only limited amount of Casein is Micellar Casein. The one which is ideal for a protein supplement and definitely the most effective. The cost of extracting Micellar Casein is way more than Whey.

Therefore as a rule of thumb, never go with a brand, in which Casein and Whey are priced at same. As per ground economics, Casein will always be more expensive than Whey.

5. What do I do with the taste and Clumps.

Reports have suggested that the best way to make a Casein shake is to mix it with 1 cup of skimmed milk and the rest can be water. You will find a a better taste and lesser clumps if you just mix a bit of skimmed milk. Secondly, always use a electric blender whenever available. Lastly, add Casein powder after you add Milk/Water as it has a high tendency to stick to the base of the container.

Wish you a great health

This is the most cost efficient and quality ratio of Casein you can probably find. With 2 day shipping with Amazon Prime and getting this every month automatically is a deal thats out of this world. I have tried several flavors, some better than others but thats not what matters. Just go with the cheapest, the chocolate for 2lb or cookies and cream for the 4lbs. Regardless of the taste, which isn't bad by the way, taking this protien before you go to bed is the best thing you can do, but you are not doing, towards building a better body.

You can really feel the filling effects of this stuff as you lay there and knowing your muscles have adequate nutrition to get them through the night is peace of mind. I can honestly say since taking this, i have slept better and i have made more gains than ever before. Its not a miricle pill or rocket science, its plain good ole nutrition for your body, when you need it the most.

Combine Casein and Whey during different times of the day for optimal effects.

What i have found what works best for me is the following.

Morning: Shake of 25 percent Casein, 75 percent Whey.

Before workout: Shake of 100 percent Whey.

After workout: Shake of 75 percent Whey, 25 percent Casein.

Before bed: Shake of 100 percent Casein.

I found this works best for me after a lot of tweeking, but for others depending on protien needs, it may vary.

Buy some today and enjoy.

I own a horse.

Almost any company can produce decent, good-tasting, cheap whey, but doing the same for casein is a trickier proposition. ON has done a solid job with this casein. Mixing it with low-fat or nonfat milk makes for a nice, creamy shake.

A couple of tips: don't bother trying to mix this with a fork or a shaker bottle. You'll get clumps and you'll hate it. Casein demands a blender.

Tip II: Casein has always been the "overnight" protein because of its slower digestion rate than whey, but recent scientific evidence suggests that combining casein with whey in your post-workout shake gives better results than whey alone. Heck, mix the two in all your shakes, except the pre-workout shake, where you'll want just the quick-hitting whey.

I love this product. Optimum Nutrition does a great job with most of their produts and this is no different. The taste isn't as good as regular whey proteins but there really isn't anything that can be done about that. Casein is a slow digesting protein that usually lasts about 7 hours which makes it a perfect for night time. Highly recommended

I used to take whey protein before bed for recovery and growth but lately my recovery times have been taking too long. This Gold Standard Casein works very well with over night muscle recovery. I mix one scoop of the Casein with a Gatorade sized bottle of milk, shake it, and drink it. Over all it does what i wanted it to, help me recover faster.

Taste- Well i knew it would probably be bad from what other reviewers have stated. In the beginning it was absolutely terrible. Two weeks into it, i can barley taste it. It will be hard at first but you will get used to it. If its too hard for you, hold your nose while drinking it. You won't even taste it.

Be forewarned it is very hard to mix, its sticky, and likes to form chunks. POUR THE LIQUID FIRST THEN ADD THE CASEIN. If you add the casein into the glass or bottle then add milk, its not gonna be easy to mix. What i do is add the casein into my Gatorade bottle, then add milk, and immediately shaking it to mix them.

All in all i would recommend this to any serious body-builder that needs faster recovery, post workout.

P. s. I have not tried any of the other flavors other that Chocolate Supreme.

I like the taste! I mix ON 100% Natural Casein powder in a cup with a little water so it has the consistency of Choc. Pudding. It has a smell similar to cake mix.
I only purchase ON products that are labled 100% NATURAL since they do not contain SUCRALOSE which I cannot tollerate!! I have early onset type2 diabetes, so I must have a bedtime snack that is long lasting and doesn't spike my blood sugar. This product fills the bill perfectly!!

A lot of reviews stated that Casein clumps up and you'll need a blender to effectively take this. This is not true. I just put a heaping scoop in my BlenderBottle, shook 20-25 times and the shake is consistent throughout with no clumping or powder stuck to the sides. For those that are interested, here's how I'm supplementing with protein:

- AM whey shake right when I wake up to quickly get protein back into my system
- 2 hours after breakfast - casein shake (will slow release over the next 6-7 hours)
- Small whey shake 30 minutes before working out (at 6PM)
- Big whey/casein mixed shake immediately after working out (60% whey). Whey will flood your system quickly, casein will time release.
- THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: casein shake immediately before bed. This will limit your body to entering a catabolic state only towards the end of your sleep as it will remain in your system 6-7 hours. Trick: I've heard if you eat a tbsp of all-natural peanut butter before the shake, it can slow the release of casein and possibly prevent you from entering a catabolic state altogether - not sure about this though.

Also, if you're doing as many shakes as I am, buy a BlenderBottle and only mix with water. This reduces the amount of time spent on taking supplements dramatically. Put a little water in the bottle, add protein, shake-shake-shake, pound it, clean, DONE.

Good luck!

basic no nonsense product from ON. Taste (banana cream) was OK....MUCH better with a scoop of natural peanut butter!!!

One thing I'll add - Casein will NEVER taste or mix as good as whey. It is a very hydrophobic product, so you'll have to really work the shaker bottle (a drink mixer also works great)to get all the clumps out. This is where a nice oily scoop of natural PB really helps. If your spending the extra money to buy this, you also know that this isn't something you want to drink around workout time (that is where whey shines) but I'll say it anyway.

Highest quality protein for a great price. I bought this b/c it has a lot of protein per serving with out a lot of calories, fat, carbs, or sugar. Tastes great, works well with fruit smoothies. Be careful with mixers because acid causes casein protein to thicken up, turning almost to pudding. Stick with non-acidic mixers like cranberry or black currant juice and you'll be fine. It's not bad mixed with plain water, it does get a little thick and has a bit of a grainy texture but that is the nature of casein protein. I stack this with Optimum Nutrition's Gold Standard 100% Whey which is also a very high quality protein.

The taste as the other reviewers stated is acquired, you will get used to it after a week. It is very filling and I use it as a meal replacement I would definitely recommend this to everyone, make sure you get a shaker, you can't drink this without a shaker.