08 September 2023
In the last blog, I discussed the importance of energy balance to achieve your bodyweight/composition goals, whether that is to gain, lose, or maintain weight. When it comes to these goals, we should be concerned with either gaining or maintaining muscle, and this is where macro counting is important. You could have the worst diet in the world; eating fast-food every single day and as long as you are in a calorie deficit you will lose weight. However, continue to eat low nutrient-dense food, and you are going to notice A) It becomes much harder to stick to the deficit and in turn, you are more likely to fall off track with the deficit B) Your energy will plummet and therefore activity will reduce and performance in the gym will decrease, again making it difficult to stay on track (you may find performance decreases and you struggle to build muscle if the food is higher in carbs/fat and lower in protein). C) Your recovery capabilities will be a lot less if you are not getting adequate nutrition and hence making it hard to maintain any muscle.
Hence, food quality and the quantities of macronutrients are important.
What is a macronutrient exactly?
Macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories or energy. Nutrients are substances needed for growth, metabolism, and for other body functions. Since “macro” means large, macronutrients are nutrients needed in large amounts.
There are three macronutrients:
• Carbohydrates
• Protein
• Fats
While each of these macronutrients provides calories, the number of calories that each one provides from being digested varies:
This means that if you looked at the Nutrition Facts label of a product and it said 12 grams of carbohydrate, 0 grams of fat, and 0 grams of protein per serving, you would know that this food has about 48 calories per serving (12 grams carbohydrate multiplied by 4 calories for each gram of carbohydrate = 48 calories).
Besides carbohydrate, protein, and fat the only other substance that provides calories is alcohol. Alcohol provides 7 calories per gram. Alcohol, however, is not a macronutrient because we do not need it for survival. These excess calories will be stored as body fat.
Protein
Protein is a macronutrient that is often misunderstood in today’s society. People seem to think that it's only used by bodybuilders or if you “take it” you’ll get huge muscles, so it is often avoided. What you need to remember is that protein is a fuel source; it can be digested and used for energy, although it plays a crucial role in muscle recovery and building also.
Protein is digested into amino acids and absorbed by the body. The body also has to use more calories to digest protein (+15%) than carbohydrates. As discussed in the previous blog this has a small effect on metabolic rate and has a side effect of feeling warm, also known as the thermic effect of protein. Ever had the meat sweats after a large Brazilian mixed grill? This is the reason why.
Ideally, we want protein level to make up around 30% of total daily calories. For anyone looking to pack on muscle the levels of protein may be higher, as there will be an increased demand for protein for muscle building/recovery.
Other reasons why we need protein:
• Growth
• Tissue repair
• Immune function
• Making essential hormones and enzymes
• Energy when carbohydrate is not available
• Preserving lean muscle mass
Protein is broken down into amino acids. Some of which are essential which means that we need to get them from our diet, and others are non-essential which means that our body can make them. Protein that comes from animal sources contains all of the essential amino acids that we need. Plant sources of protein, on the other hand, do not contain all of the essential amino acids. Hence if you are following a vegetarian or vegan diet I strongly recommend supplementing protein to get in all your essentials, or having combinations of protein sources to get in all the essential amino acids required by the body.
Fats
The type of fats you want to eat less of are the likes of trans fats, and saturated fat. In excess, these types of fat will raise your cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease. It does this by laying fatty deposits in your arteries, causing atherosclerosis. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are what we are looking to consume for the majority of fat intake in our diets. These will aid in lowering cholesterol and reducing your risk of heart disease. Examples: peanut butter, nuts, tofu, fish, and flaxseed.
Trans and saturated sources to limit: a lot of dairy, butter, cheese, ice cream, packaged snack foods, chocolate bars etc.
Another common dietary myth is that some people think meals that are ‘fat-free’ are the best option for weight loss. However, a “fat-free” label doesn’t mean you can eat all you want without consequences to your waistline. Many fat-free foods are high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, and calories: the opposite of what we want.
At rest your body will favor fat metabolism over using other fuel sources: the amount of energy per gram of fat digested is higher than that of protein or carbs. Thus, it is essential we get a good source of healthy fats in the diet.
Why do you need fat:
• Normal growth and development
• Energy (fat is the most concentrated source of energy)
• Absorbing certain vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, K, and carotenoids)
• Providing cushioning for the organs
• Maintaining cell membranes
• Providing taste, consistency, and stability to foods
As a rule of thumb it is suggested that approximately 20-30% of your daily calorie intake should come from essential fats (avoid trans fats found in ‘junk food’ can have here and there as a treat).
Carbohydrates
These are often described as your body’s main source of energy but in today’s modern-day ‘Westernized’ diet we can end up over-consuming these types of food; simple sugars from fizzy juice, sweets, pastries etc are the main culprits because they taste good. It is not necessarily carbs that are increasing the world's fat %, it is merely our overconsumption of them. The same result would happen if we overeat any macronutrient.
The majority of our carbohydrate intake should be made up of complex sugars such as sweet potato, rice, vegetables, whole wheat, wholemeal. The reason is because these types of carbohydrates are more slowly digested and absorbed by the body, i.e. there is a slower release of insulin which is used to control the breakdown of carbs into glucose in the body. If we have a slower release of energy we are less likely to continuously crave sugary carbohydrates to “pick us up” and therefore less likely to over-consume. If we over consume sugary, simple carbs we constantly spike insulin and can become insulin resistance risking health complications such as obesity, bad cholesterol and Type 2 Diabetes.
However, there are times when we do want to spike insulin, for example, post workout, we know this is an anabolic hormone and will aid in the offset of muscle protein breakdown after a hard weight session.
Why do you need carbs?
• Easily used by the body for energy
• All of the tissues and cells in our body can use glucose for energy
• Carbohydrates are needed for the central nervous system, the kidneys, the brain, the muscles (including the heart) to function properly
• Can be stored in the muscles and liver and later used for energy
• Can offset muscle protein breakdown post workout
As a rule of thumb it is suggested that approximately 40-50% of your daily calorie intake should come from Carbohydrates as the body’s primary source of energy. Stick to complex, unrefined carbohydrates for the majority of your intake as these will give you sustained energy throughout the day and provide you with vitamins, minerals and fiber e.g. (wholemeal, whole grains, fresh vegetables, pulses, quinoa, sweet potato)
Fiber
Fiber refers to certain types of carbohydrates that our body cannot digest. These carbohydrates pass through the intestinal tract intact and help to move waste out of the body. Diets that are low in fiber have been shown to cause problems such as constipation and hemorrhoids and to increase the risk for certain types of cancers such as colon cancer. Diets high in fiber; however, have been shown to decrease risks for heart disease, obesity, and they help lower cholesterol. Foods high in fiber include green vegetables, certain fruits and whole grain products. It is suggested we consume around 25-35g of fiber per day, depending on the individuals and their requirements.
So how do we decide the percentages of Macronutrients in our diet?
We know that protein is super important for us to hit in order for us to build muscle, approximately 1g of Protein per pound of lean body weight to promote muscle growth and recovery. Which can vary significantly depending on your training experience, body fat levels etc. 0.5g – 1.2g per lbs of lean bw (up to 1.5g for more experienced strength/physique athletes). So first and foremost if your goal is to build/maintain muscle we need to make sure we are getting adequate protein intake. I have given some suggested percentages of carbohydrates and Fats above but really this is the part that comes down to the individual and is dependent on the individuals health needs and requirements, preferences and goals. For instance if your goal is to build muscle and be in a calorie surplus you may decide to include a higher carbohydrate intake, as carbs are your body’s primary source of energy to fuel your workouts and adding more fats will be slower to digest making it more challenging to stick to the surplus. Were-as a person wit either type 1 or type 2 diabetes may benefit off a diet with a slightly higher ratio of fat (mainly from health unsaturated sources) to help manage blood sugar. I have worked with many clients some working better of slightly higher fat in their diets, others with slightly higher carb intake to meet their requirements and goals. The most important rule for body composition based goal is adequate protein intake and the remainder of calories from fat/carbs can be at any ratio that will help to stick to the energy balance required for the goal; deficit, maintenance or surplus.
I hope this article helped you decide on a macronutrient split and if you have any further questions drop me a DM on Instagram.