About 20% of the protein in a glass of milk consists of whey. The other 80% is casein. You’re probably aware that both are complete proteins containing all of the essential amino acids, and that whey digests much more quickly than casein. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition highlights advantages unique to casein protein.

Researchers had 12 healthy men and 12 healthy women stay 36 hours in a respiration chamber to accurately measure metabolic response to diet. Half of these subjects got 25% of their total calories from casein protein and the remaining half got 10% of their energy from casein. The 25% casein diet resulted in 2.6% higher energy expenditure and a higher sleeping metabolic rate than the 10% casein diet. It also created a greater degree of satiety, which is a feeling of fullness.

True Strength Moment: Casein helped keep these subjects in a positive protein balance and negative fat balance. It mixes up into a richer, thicker shake compared to whey, so it makes sense that this protein provides a degree of satiety. TIP: Casein powder makes a terrific nighttime pudding snack to satisfy sweet tooth cravings. Simply reduce the recommended amount of water to 4 or 5 ounces and place this mixture in the freezer to firm up for 5 to 10 minutes.

You go to the grocery store and read some food labels and notice sugar alcohols listed as part of the ingredients. It doesn’t mean it is sugar, nor does it mean it is alcohol. So yes, the name is a bit misleading. Or maybe you’ve heard of the big craze with labels that read “sugar free” or “no sugar added”. Instead they use sugar alcohols which are a form of carbohydrate that add some sweetness to foods and are added to your favorite ice creams, cookies, gum, chocolates and countless other food items in your local grocery store.

Continue reading What You Need to Know About Sugar Alcohols →

It’s not unusual for even the most dedicated lifters to take some time off. A week of not picking up heavy objects can actually be a good thing, because it provides more time to completely recover from intense weight training. What happens when you stay away from the gym for an extended period is the subject of a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.

After analyzing 103 different scientific papers on physical capacity after the conclusion of a resistance training program, researchers determined that all aspects of strength performance suffer, but the effect is greater in older subjects as well as people who were relatively inactive before the program began.

True Strength Moment: It makes sense that the longer you stay away from the weight room the weaker you become. It’s also logical to assume that people who train regularly over the course of many years will remain stronger during a period of inactivity than those who are new to the iron jungle.

Exercise can help you improve in a variety of ways, and a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology adds to this list with a recommendation for reducing the increase of blood triglycerides that follows a meal.

Six healthy young men exercised for an hour at 50% of their capacity or following an intermittent style of training that alternated between 2 minutes of 25% effort and 2 minutes at 90%. The next morning, they consumed a balanced meal. Levels of triglycerides were measured 2, 4 and 6 hours post-meal. Fat oxidation improved in both groups compared to a control group that didn’t exercise, with best results seen performing HIIT style training.

True Strength Moment: Intense exercise looks like your best alternative for keeping triglycerides in check, but don’t underestimate the potential of extended-duration endurance workouts. They’re an invaluable tool for improving your conditioning and still have an impressive impact on triglycerides. Mix up your training with a combination of cardio challenges.