Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese that has not undergone the aging process. It is made from cow’s or goat’s milk.
In bodybuilding, cottage cheese is one of the best natural sources of casein – a protein known for its anabolic properties.
It not only contains a lot of protein, but it is also rich in some other beneficial substances.
Let’s look at some scientific facts that explain the health benefits of cottage cheese for weight loss, muscle gain, and overall health.
Main thoughts:
A serving of 200 g of cottage cheese contains about a quarter of the daily norm of vitamin B12
Cottage cheese can cause allergies and digestive issues in people with lactose intolerance
Nutritional Composition of Cottage Cheese
The nutritional composition of different types of cottage cheese varies depending on the fat content of the milk used in its preparation and the amount of sodium added.
For example, let’s take low-fat cottage cheese:
| Nutritional composition of low-fat cottage cheese (1%) | |
|---|---|
| Calories | 71 Cal |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Fats | 1 g |
| Vitamins and minerals | Phosphorus, sodium, selenium, vitamins B12, B3, B6, A, riboflavin, calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and copper |
For muscle gain, the protein content in cottage cheese is of primary importance.
Note that it contains quite a lot: a 200-gram serving of cottage cheese is equivalent to a protein shake (~30 grams of protein). And it is significantly cheaper (about 2 times less when calculated for the same amount of protein).
Cottage cheese protein is complete, i.e., it contains all essential amino acids, and “slow” (digested over 4-6 hours). Both properties are important for stimulating muscle growth.
It also contains many trace elements: B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, and selenium.
Vitamin B12
Cottage cheese is rich in vitamin B12, which determines the development and functioning of brain cells, the nervous system, and blood cells. Its adequate presence in the diet is especially important for children.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is very common among vegans, whose diet completely lacks animal products.
A serving of cottage cheese (200 g) contains about a quarter of the daily norm of vitamin B12.
We recommend: Vegetarianism/Veganism and Sports: Benefits and RISKS
Selenium
A serving of cottage cheese (200 g) on average contains 30% of the daily norm of selenium. Selenium has powerful antioxidant properties 17, and its deficiency is a factor in the development of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and degeneration of nerve cells.
Cottage cheese contains high-quality “slow” protein casein and important trace elements, including vitamin B12, selenium, calcium, and phosphorus.
Benefits of Cottage Cheese for Weight Loss
Cottage cheese is included in the diet of many weight loss diets (in particular, the Dukan protein diet).
Numerous studies prove that consuming protein-rich foods (such as cottage cheese) is beneficial for weight loss. This is explained by several reasons:
- Cottage cheese increases the feeling of fullness and significantly reduces the number of calories consumed in subsequent meals 2,3,5.
A similar satiety effect is observed when consuming eggs, which have been shown to be beneficial for weight loss.
- Protein foods have an increased thermogenic effect: digesting them requires about 30% more energy than fats and carbohydrates; this means that the number of calories that can be stored as fat is reduced 4.
- Calcium, found in large amounts in cottage cheese, is not only related to bone strength but is also an independent factor beneficial for weight loss 7,8.
It plays a key role in energy metabolism: it prevents the increase of fat stores when excess calories are consumed and accelerates fat burning under calorie restriction conditions.
- Cottage cheese is beneficial for muscle growth (which will be discussed shortly) and its consumption (especially in combination with training) leads to energy redistribution: more energy is directed towards building muscle tissue, meaning less is stored as fat.
In one study, researchers aimed to determine how changes in eating habits (increasing protein intake and reducing carbohydrates) would affect the weight of obese individuals 18.
The experiment involved 30 men and 30 women aged around 50 years. Typical modern food products (pasta, packaged fruit and vegetable juices, potatoes, cheeses, sugar, meat, lard, butter) were excluded from the diet, and the proportion of protein-rich foods (cottage cheese, fish), whole grain bread, cereals, rice, vegetables, fruits, and vegetable oils was increased.
As a result, after one year, participants lost between 2 to 9 kg (women) and 1 to 5 kg (men). There was also a significant decrease in blood cholesterol levels and normalization of blood pressure.
Cottage cheese is a source of high-quality protein and calcium, which are beneficial factors for weight loss.
We recommend: Is protein beneficial for weight loss?
The benefits of cottage cheese for gaining muscle mass
Cottage cheese in bodybuilding is one of the best natural sources of protein.
It has long been proven that a diet high in protein combined with strength training is beneficial for gaining muscle mass 6.
The benefits of cottage cheese for mass gain are mainly explained by a special type of protein – casein – which is present in it in a significant amount.
Casein is a “slow” protein; it is digested and absorbed more slowly than another milk protein – whey protein.
Casein is as effective for muscle mass gain as whey protein, but its advantage lies in better protection against muscle catabolism, providing a slow and continuous supply of amino acids to the muscles over several hours 10.
Some scientific facts about the benefits of casein (cottage cheese) for mass gain:
- In an experiment 10, researchers studied the effects of casein and whey protein on the rate of muscle synthesis. They found that after consuming whey protein immediately after training, the levels of insulin and BCAA amino acids in the blood increased much more than with casein; however, the rate of muscle protein synthesis was approximately the same and increased over 1-6 hours.
- In the experiment 11, it was shown that casein protects muscles from breakdown 34% better than whey protein; however, whey is twice as effective in stimulating muscle protein.
- Studies on mice have shown that milk proteins (whey, casein, milk) have significantly greater potential for stimulating muscle growth than soy protein; it was also noted that the time to reach peak speed varies among different types of protein: whey protein – 60 minutes after consumption, milk protein – 90 minutes, casein – 120 minutes 9.
- Of particular importance for muscle growth is the slow and steady release of the amino acid leucine into the bloodstream – one of the three BCAAs – which has a strong anabolic effect: for 7 hours after intake, leucine levels are higher than for whey, while after consuming whey protein, a greater percentage of leucine is oxidized 11-13.
In bodybuilding, cottage cheese (or sports casein) is most often recommended to be consumed before sleep – this provides a constant supply of nutrients to the muscles during nighttime recovery and protects against muscle catabolism. See How to take protein for muscle mass gain.
The benefits of cottage cheese for muscle mass gain are explained by its relatively high content of casein – a slow protein that has anti-catabolic effects.
We recommend: How much protein should you drink per day for muscle mass gain?
Other beneficial properties of cottage cheese
- Stabilization of insulin levels
Insulin resistance leads to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Most often, the cause of its formation is the regular consumption of simple carbohydrates (sugars).
The calcium abundant in cottage cheese has a stabilizing effect on insulin 7. Scientists say that regular consumption of cottage cheese and other dairy products reduces the risk of developing diabetes by 21% 14.
- Cottage cheese is beneficial for bone health
In addition to calcium and protein, cottage cheese is rich in phosphorus. All three elements determine bone health 15,16.
- Cottage cheese helps detoxify the body
The function of phosphorus is not limited to making bones stronger. It also regulates the acidity level in the body.
Phosphorus is the second most abundant mineral in the body (after calcium); this indirectly indicates the importance of its functions. One of them is the removal of toxins (it helps the kidneys perform their work) 19.
- Cottage cheese helps achieve a state of ketosis
Ketosis is the goal of the ketogenic diet. This is a state in which the body uses fats as a source of energy instead of carbohydrates.
Scientists talk about its numerous health benefits, including weight loss and cancer treatment, and recommend this diet for the vast majority of people.
Some whole dairy products (particularly fatty cottage cheese) are on the list of allowed foods in the ketogenic diet.
Cottage cheese reduces the risk of diabetes, improves bone health, and has antioxidant properties.
Recommended: How many calories do you need per day to lose weight?
How and when is it best to eat cottage cheese in bodybuilding?
In bodybuilding, there is a rule: “fast” proteins (whey) are consumed before or after training, while “slow” proteins (casein) are consumed at other times of the day, especially at night before sleep.
Cottage cheese is a source of “slow” casein protein. It is most often recommended to eat it at night. This is fine for both gaining muscle mass and for weight loss.
However, there is one very important nuance: cottage cheese with carbohydrates (like all dairy products) very effectively stimulates fat gain. This effect is even stronger than from carbohydrates alone.
Why?
The reason lies in insulin: when consuming dairy, the level of this hormone increases significantly. The higher the insulin, the more effectively excess sugars in the blood are transported to fat stores.
Considering this, it is better not to eat cottage cheese at night with carbohydrates (jam, bananas, yogurts, etc.). Otherwise, it will act as a gainer.
Can you eat cottage cheese while cutting?
Cottage cheese and other dairy products have another unpleasant effect: their consumption promotes fluid retention in the subcutaneous layers; therefore, in professional bodybuilding, they are completely excluded from the diet during cutting. This is specifically mentioned by Russian bodybuilder Stanislav Lindover in one of his interviews.
Is Lindover right that for definition it is better to eat sports casein instead of cottage cheese? The answer is in the article How and when is it best to eat cottage cheese? and can you eat it at night?
The combination of cottage cheese with carbohydrates is very effective in gaining… fat mass. This applies to all dairy products (except cheeses).
Recommended: How to Gain Muscle Mass? A Guide for Beginners
Harm of Cottage Cheese
There is nothing particularly special or scary about cottage cheese. As with any dairy products, the issue only arises with intolerance to certain components of milk.
Yes, of course, there are ubiquitous problems with antibiotics and growth hormones that inevitably end up in milk from cows… but we will talk about that another time.
We also recommend the scientific facts about the harm of protein in the material Is Protein Harmful to Health?.
Lactose Intolerance
The lactose content in cheese decreases with its age.
Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese that contains quite a lot of lactose. Accordingly, those who are lactose intolerant will not be able to benefit from the aforementioned beneficial properties of cottage cheese.
Symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, gas, diarrhea, and stomach pain.
Allergy
In some people, casein and whey found in cottage cheese can cause allergies. Typical symptoms include rash, difficulty breathing, and fever.
Cottage cheese can cause allergies and digestive problems in people with lactose intolerance.
Recommended: How to Lose Belly Fat and How Effective Are Only Ab Exercises?
Conclusion
Cottage cheese is an exceptionally healthy product for health, muscle mass gain, and weight loss due to its high content of slow protein casein and trace elements (B vitamins, calcium, selenium, phosphorus).
In bodybuilding, cottage cheese is one of the best alternatives to sports protein. It is beneficial for both gaining mass and losing weight, but not for cutting: all dairy products lead to fluid retention in subcutaneous tissues.
The combination of cottage cheese with carbohydrates is effective for gaining fat mass.
