When it comes to maintaining peak athletic-performance and consistently making speed and strength gains, recovery is key. That is why PROGENEX is proud to present the perfect companion to our post-workout Recovery supplement—PROGENEX Cocoon.
PROGENEX Cocoon represents the finest in night-time protein for rest and recovery, and is specially formulated to promote a deep, sound, restorative sleep. Just two scoops before retiring, and you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and fully recovered—ready to tackle stress, rise above the daily grind, and attack your most-grueling workouts.
What Do Nursery Rhymes and night-time Have to Do with Recovery?
A lot! PROGENEX Cocoon is all about night-time rest and recovery so it’s only appropriate that to begin discussion of our first key ingredient with a little bedtime nursery rhyme:
“Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and whey…”
But what exactly is ‘whey?’ If you answered cheese curds, you are correct! Unfortunately, if you’ve ever eaten curds and whey, they you probably know that whey is very bitter, with a taste that isn’t generally something to get excited about. On the other hand, if little Miss Muffet had been drinking her whey—in the form of a PROGENEX Recovery or More Muscle shake—then she probably wouldn’t have been in such a bad mood when the spider showed up, and she would have had the physical strength and definition to give the spider second thoughts about approaching uninvited.
You see, Miss Muffet was actually consuming two superior sources of protein. Curds come from casein protein. What is casein protein? Casein is the main protein found in cow’s milk. In fact, casein protein makes up approximately 80% of the protein found in cow’s milk, while the remaining 20% consists of whey protein. As complete proteins, both casein and whey serve as stellar sources of muscle fuel. Both possess unique amino acid profiles that, when combined with their differing rates of digestion, make them remarkably well-suited to enhance muscle growth, repair, and recovery.
Whey is a fast-digesting, rapidly absorbed protein, making it the ideal pre- and post-workout protein supplement (which is why PROGENEX Recovery consists of 100% whey protein hydrolysate). The rapid and ready absorption is just what your starving muscles need for optimum recovery after a killer workout. Casein, on the other hand, clots in the stomach, resulting in slower metabolization. This longer digestion time provides your skeletal muscles with a sustained release of amino acids—making micellar casein the perfect protein choice for PROGENEX Cocoon: the ultimate in night-time rest and recovery.
Micellar Casein
How does this clotting of casein in the gut occur? Well, it’s actually very similar to the process of making cheese. You see, casein curdles in acidic environments. When manufacturers make cheese, they simply add a substance with a low ph to the milk, causing the casein to curdle while the whey goes by the “whey” side. This is how you get your curds and whey. So what Miss Muffet was actually eating was something very similar to cottage cheese. Although today, the milky liquid found in cottage cheese is not usually whey; most people wouldn’t find cottage cheese and whey very appetizing.
But back to your belly and the clotting of casein. The acidic nature of your stomach is what actually causes the casein to clot during digestion. This coagulation slows its digestion, enabling the casein to serve as a time-released protein supplement that peaks hours after consumption, supplying your muscles with a slow and steady drip of amino acids. Again, the best time to ingest casein protein is right before bed. Casein protein before bed makes it possible for your muscles to receive a steady supply of protein while you sleep.
Some Serious Science
And that is why the central ingredient in PROGENEX Cocoon, our new night-time rest and recovery supplement, is micellar casein—the best casein protein available. Studies on micellar casein have demonstrated its remarkable ability to:
- Stimulate protein synthesis (Tipton, 2004)
- Increase lean muscle mass and strength (Demling, 2000), (Willoughby, 2007)
- Prevent muscle wasting (Boirie Y, 1997)
- Speed recovery (Cermak, 2012)
- Improve immunity (Gregory P, 2008)
- Enhance satiety (Abou-Samra, 2011), and
- Reduce blood pressure (Cadee, 2007)
Metamorphogen™
Micellar casein, however, is only one of the ingredients that make PROGENEX Cocoon the ultimate in night-time rest and recovery. PROGENEX Cocoon also features Metamorphogen™—the powerful tryptophan peptide that reduces sleep interruptions while fostering a deep, sound, restorative sleep, so that you always wake up feeling strong, rested, and fully recovered. Furthermore, you won’t have to worry about drowsiness because the precise amount of Metamorphogen™ was specially formulated to wrap you in a cocoon of recovery at night, so that come morning you are ready to hit it hard, maintaining peak performance levels all day long!
Tryptophan and Sleep
Most people associate tryptophan with Thanksgiving and turkey. Turkey does contain tryptophan and people do seem to get a little tired after eating their Thanksgiving feast. Many believe it’s from the tryptophan, others say it has more to do with overeating. All arguments aside, science has proved the positive relation between the two (tryptophan and sleep).
In fact, over 30 years ago, Dr. Hartman discovered L-tryptophan benefits in reducing sleep latency (the amount of time it takes an individual to fall asleep), while simultaneously promoting a deeper, less-interrupted sleep (Hartman, 1982). Studies demonstrating the power of tryptophan are not limited to just adults. Recently, scientists substantiated tryptophan’s capability to improve infant sleep (Aparicio, 2007). For years, tryptophan has been added to infant formula and for good reason. It works! Both parents and babies sleep more soundly because of it.
But that is not all, the tryptophan peptide has also been shown to improve and enhance sleep for individuals struggling with sleep disorders such as insomnia (Schneider-Helmet, 1986) (Hudson,2005), sleep apnea (Schmidt, 1983) and sleep phase delay (Cooke, 2010). In short, tryptophan for sleep is a proven science.
What Is Tryptophan, and How Does It Work?
As an essential amino acid, L-tryptophan enters the bloodstream through the walls of the intestinal tract. L-tryptophan serves as a precursor for the production of serotonin. You see, when L-tryptophan crosses the brain-blood barrier, the brain converts it into 5-hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP, and then into serotonin. Serotonin plays an important role in regulating sleep, appetite, and mood. When it comes to sleep, low serotonin levels negatively impact sleep/wake cycles (Miyamoto, 2012), as well as result in numerous sleeping disorders (Soulairac, 1977), (Wyatt, 1971). Disrupted sleep can ultimately lead to even greater problems, such as chronic fatigue syndrome and/or depression.
Improved Mood
In addition to regulating sleep, serotonin plays an important role in governing mood and behavior. Since L-tryptophan serves as a precursor to serotonin production, Metamorphogen™ will also help elevate your mood. Studies on depression and its treatment have consistently demonstrated L-tryptophan’s ability to increase serotonin production, thereby improving overall mood, while ameliorating depressive symptoms (Thomson, 1982), (Levitan, 2000).
Appetite Control
Serotonin is also responsible for appetite regulation. Serotonin inhibits neuropeptide Y, resulting in the suppression of hunger and food intake (Halford & Blundell, 2000). Conversely, a low brain 5-HT level (translate as serotonin level) is associated with enhanced appetite (Leibowitz, 1989) and impaired impulse control (in rats) (Bizot, 1999). Since tryptophan levels directly impact the production of serotonin, PROGENEX Cocoon’s Metamorphogen™ can help you feel satiated as you soundly sleep. No more ravenous mid-night awakenings; your appetite will be regulated while your muscles continuously baste in a slow and steady supply of amino acids—stimulating growth, recovery, and repair.
WOD Hard. Sleep Well. Recover Strong.
Night-time recovery is crucial for daytime performance and success. Featuring the powerful ingredients, micellar casein and Metamorphogen™, PROGENEX Cocoon provides just what your body needs to WOD hard, sleep well, and recover strong, for enhanced sleep and muscle growth. So go ahead and hit the gym hard, because PROGENEX is here to not only help you recover post-workout, but to also wrap you in a cocoon of recovery once you hit the hay.
In review, the power of PROGENEX Cocoon lies in its slow digesting micellar casein that stimulates protein synthesis through a sustained release of amino acids throughout the night—promoting muscle building while preventing muscle wasting. This slow, steady drip of amino acids is not only critical for protein synthesis, but is also crucial for immune system support (Gregory P, 2008), and when coupled with our proprietary tryptophan peptide— Metamorphogen™—ensures a deep, restorative and reparative sleep, so that you wake up feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and fully recovered, ready to defeat stress, rise above the daily grind, and tackle your most grueling workouts.
Total Recovery
For a synergistic and supreme effect, we recommend combining the use of PROGENEX Recovery and PROGENEX Cocoon. After a rigorous workout, your muscles need amino acids, fast! PROGENEX Recovery delivers just that—in a matter of minutes, not hours. Giving your fatigued and starving muscles the most pure, potent form of protein necessary for recovery, repair, and growth.
Adding PROGENEX Cocoon to your daily routine will ensure maximum recovery, enabling enormous gains in speed, strength, and stamina. Begin using PROGENEX Recovery immediately post-workout, and PROGENEX Cocoon before bedtime for the ultimate 1-2 recovery punch!