Did you know that most gym enthusiasts don’t know the science behind macronutrients? Don’t worry. After reading this article, you will stop being one of them. In this macronutrient guide, we’ll demystify macros and show you how they can supercharge your fitness journey. Get ready to transform your body and performance with the power of proper nutrition!

What Are Macronutrients?

Macronutrients are essential for keeping your body functioning properly. Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transferred from one form to another. To move, think, laugh, and train, you need energy.

Just like cars get their energy from fuel, our bodies require chemical fuel to function. This energy is measured in calories. Instead of being seen as a source of pleasure, food should be viewed as a tool to optimize our body’s performance. Among the nutrients food contains, macronutrients are the ones that provide calories and are crucial in reaching our fitness goals.

There are three macronutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, each serving a different purpose but remaining essential for our overall well-being.

Protein: The Muscle-Building Powerhouse

Protein-Energy: 4kcal/gram

Muscle growth is a science and it doesn’t happen by luck, for a muscle to grow 3 things must be done.

1. Stimulus
2. Protein consumption
3. Resting

The process is as follows: you go to the gym and lift weights, creating micro-cuts in your muscle fibers. When you return home, you consume foods that contain protein. Your body will break down the protein and work to restore the damaged tissue while resting. If any of these 3 steps is missing, you will be losing gains. Therefore, it’s important to provide your body with the right amount and quality of protein it needs.

For men focusing on muscle hypertrophy, aiming for 1g/lb of body weight (2.2g/kg of body weight) is recommended. For example, a man weighing 200 lbs should aim to consume 200 grams of protein daily.

He needs to find foods with high-quality lean protein that fit within his daily recommended calories to avoid gaining excessive fat. Such foods include:

• Dairy
• Chicken breast
• Chicken thigh
• Beef
• Steak
• Fish

The timing of protein consumption is also important. Some proteins get absorbed faster than others. For example, dairy proteins get absorbed faster than the ones that come from meat. Even though we should have protein intake all day long it is crucial to eat easily absorbed proteins right after the workout, this is the time your body needs it the most. If played right, you can save yourself a big part of that annoying soreness after weightlifting.

Carbohydrates: Fueling Your Workouts

Carbohydrates-Energy: 4kcal/gram

Carbohydrates are often misunderstood as merely fattening, leading many to avoid them. What most fail to understand is that carbs are the Number One source of energy for their body. When consumed, they are broken down into glucose, which is then used to fuel bodily functions.

Even though your body could function without them (carnivore diet), foods that contain carbohydrates also contain essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber which lead to better overall health and physical performance.

Carbs can be found in a variety of foods but as athletes, our goal is to optimize our athletic performance. Hence, it is important to consume high-fiber and low-processed carbs. These are:

• Whole Grains: Quinoa, Brown Rice, Oats, Barley, Whole Wheat Bread, Whole Grain Pasta, Buckwheat
• Fruits: Apples, Bananas, Berries, Oranges, Pears, Grapes, Mangoes
• Vegetables: Potatoes, corn

Fats: Essential for Hormones and Recovery

Fats-Energy: 9kcal/gram

Beware: FATS DON’T GET YOU FAT.

Healthy fats are a crucial component of a balanced diet. They serve several vital functions in the body, from providing a dense source of energy to supporting cellular structures and metabolic processes.

“Dense source of energy” simply means that they are not turned into energy immediately, but are here for the long run. This is particularly beneficial during prolonged physical activities.

However, not all fats are created equal. There are many forms of fats and in order to create a balanced diet we need to understand their nature.

There are 3 types of fats:

Saturated Fats:

• Sources: Red meat, butter, cheese, and other animal products.
• Role in the Body: They are used for energy storage and are necessary in moderation for proper cell membrane function. Excessive intake, however, can lead to increased cholesterol levels and a higher risk of heart disease.

Unsaturated Fats:

• Monounsaturated Fats:
  • Sources: Olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
  • Benefits: Help reduce bad cholesterol levels, lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke. They also provide nutrients to help develop and maintain body cells.
• Polyunsaturated Fats:
  • Sources: Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), flaxseeds, walnuts, and sunflower oil.
  • Benefits: Essential for brain function and cell growth. They include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are crucial for heart health, reducing inflammation, and supporting overall wellness.

Trans Fats:

• Sources: Partially hydrogenated oils, found in fried foods, baked goods, and processed snacks.
• Risks: These fats are associated with many heart diseases, inflammation, and other chronic conditions. It is advisable to avoid trans fats as much as possible.

So the bad reputation on fats is basically due to trans fats. That doesn’t mean that we should avoid all types of fats. The optimal intake of fats can vary based on individual fitness goals and overall dietary needs:

General Fitness and Health:

Aim for fats to constitute about 20-35% of your total daily caloric intake.

Focus on a balance of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats while limiting saturated fats to less than 10% of total daily calories.

Avoid trans fats as much as possible.

Endurance Athletes:

May benefit from a slightly higher fat intake to support prolonged energy needs, with fats making up around 25-35% of daily calories.

Emphasize omega-3 fatty acids for their anti-inflammatory benefits to deal with the stress the body goes under.

Strength and Power Athletes:

Typically fats account for 20-30% of daily calories, ensuring sufficient intake of saturated fats for hormone production without exceeding healthy limits.

Include sources of monounsaturated fats to support overall health and recovery.

Weight Loss:

Maintain a balanced fat intake of 20-30% of daily calories, focusing on unsaturated fats to enhance satiety and prevent overeating.

Calculating Your Macronutrient Needs

Every person is different. We can’t be all eating the same amount of the exact same foods. A child for example needs less full than a superheavyweight powerlifter. Each person should, however, be able to calculate the macronutrients that he needs.

The macronutrient synthesis a person should aim for depends on a variety of factors:

• Gender: Men typically have more muscle mass and less body fat than women, leading to higher calorie and protein requirements. Women, on the other hand, may require a slightly higher percentage of fat in their diet to support hormonal balance.
• Age: As you age, your metabolic rate tends to slow down, which affects the amount of calories your body needs. Younger individuals generally have higher energy requirements.
• Body composition: The heavier a person is the more food he needs to maintain his body weight fixed.
• Activities: The more active a person is the more energy they burn. Hence, the more food they need
• Goals: Some people want to lose weight, some to gain weight, some to maintain it fixed. The amount of food they require is correlated directly.

As we said at the beginning of this article energy cannot be destroyed nor created, it can only change form and bodies. If a person consumes more energy (calories) than he burns he will gain weight. If he consumes less, he will lose weight. It’s simple thermodynamics!

Macronutrient Guide on Bulking

If your goal is to increase your muscle mass first things first you need to force your body to a caloric surplus. This means that you consume more calories than you burn.

For bulking it is suggested that you break down your macronutrients as follows:

• Protein: 1.2-2.0 grams per pound of body weight to support muscle repair and growth.
• Carbohydrates: 45-60% of total daily calories to fuel workouts and promote muscle recovery.
• Fats: 20-30% of total daily calories to support hormone production and energy needs.

Macronutrient Guide on Cutting

If your goal is to decrease your body fat and get leaner, there is no other way than putting yourself through a caloric deficit. I know it hurts, and I was there was an easier way out. I wish there was a magic drink I could consume and all my excessive fat to go away. But there isn’t such a thing. It’s not easy, you need discipline to get it done.

If the calories that go in are less than the calories that go out the outcome is weight loss. It’s as simple as that. The sooner you accept this reality, the sooner you will reach your goals.

And who knows? You might even get something more than a 6-pack.

For cutting it is suggested that you increase your protein consumption to the upper end of the previous range. That’s because if there are no carbs to burn and your body cannot burn exceed the rate at which it is converting your stored fat to energy, it will simply choose to burn your protein for energy. That means that there will be less protein to repair the damage in your muscles from your workouts and that will lead to muscle pain and muscle loss.

If planned correctly you can maintain your muscle mass whilst burning fat!

Macronutrient Guide for Maintenance

They call it Maintain, I call it Maingain and it is the way I choose to live my life. I drop my body fat down to a percentage I feel most comfortable with (for me it’s around 12-13%) and then I try to keep it fixed!

By keeping your abs with a fixed visibility, not getting leaner-not getting blurrier, consuming 2gr of protein per lb of body weight, and achieving progressive overload in your hypertrophy training you can achieve building muscle without having to go through bulking and cutting and suffer your weight’s ups and downs.

Conclusion

This macronutrient guide shows you the path to attain your dream physique. You can’t eat random foods and hope god will give you what you desire, Just like you can’t drop an apple and expect it to go up. There is a process that needs to be followed. Nutrition is a whole science and for you to reach your goals, start by learning the essentials. Time and searching will show you the rest.