If you spend any amount of time on weekly basis in a CrossFit gym, you have inevitably heard the term “macros” more often than you hear people talk about their Fran time or how much they can back squat. Maybe you have done your own research on macros on the inter webs, talked to a nutritionist or nutrition coach, or maybe you are still scratching your head when you hear things like “it fits my macros.” In this article I will give a brief overview of what macros are, and why they have become such a big deal in the nutrition space.
Macros is the abbreviation for Macronutrients. Macronutrients are the major nutrients your body obtains from food. There are three main macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Alcohol is technically its own macronutrient, too, but for the purposes of this article, I will talk mainly about proteins, fats, and carbs. Everything that is a food that has calories is made up of these building blocks. Your body breaks down macronutrients into the molecules that it needs to build and maintain bodily structures, like muscles, cell membranes, hormones, etc, and to fuel your body’s daily energy needs. It is important to note that all of the macronutrients are important. Certain diets and ideologies have demonized fats or carbs, heck even protein. But your body needs all three in appropriate quantities to function optimally. Below we’ll take a deeper dive into proteins, carbohydrates and fats- what they are and why they are important.
Protein:
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. A large portion of our muscle tissue, cells structures, and even hormones in the body are protein-based structures. So we need to consume adequate protein in order to maintain these structures. There are 20 different amino acids, and 9 are considered “essential” meaning that your body needs them but cannot synthesize or produce them on its own. Hence why protein consumption is so very important. The amount of protein people should consume is a hot topic for debate. Some sources say Americans consume way too much protein, others say not nearly enough. According to the USDA’s protein calculator, a 27 year old female who is sedentary, weighing 145 lbs should consume 53 grams of protein daily, which would equate to just about 10% of caloric intake. Another protein guideline, the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) recommends a range for protein that is 10% – 35% of caloric intake. This is a very wide range, and a lean body mass analysis and level of physical activity will help you to pinpoint where you should be in this range.
Fats:
Fats are extremely important in the diet and they don’t make you fat, just awesome. Just like there are essential amino acids that need to be obtained from foods, there are essential fatty acids as well. Fats are found as hydrocarbons, the presence, or lack of hydrogen at certain locations along the molecular chain is what determines whether a fat is saturated, unsaturated or trans in formation. Fats should not be feared as they make up way more than just the fat cells in your body. According to the AMDR referenced above, fats can make up between 20%-35% of caloric intake. This is not a hard and fast recommendations as many traditional cultures, like the Inuit, survived almost exclusively on fats for fuel. Your level of physical activity, weight loss/ performance goals will be key in determining your ideal fat intake.
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred source of fuel, but unlike fats and proteins, they are not technically “essential” meaning that your body could fuel itself from fats and proteins if it really had to. With that being said, carbs are very important if you are an active individual. When carbohydrates are present in the diet they will be broken down first and used first to fuel your body’s energy needs. Anything in excess will be stored for later use in your liver and muscles as glycogen, and what’s left will be stored as fat. Carbs are like the gasoline if your body is the engine- when you drive your car you need to refill, but if you don’t drive far, or at all, you don’t want to put too much in the tank. According to the AMDR, carbohydrates should comprise 45%-65% of energy intake. If you are a highly active individual, you will be at the higher end of this spectrum, while sedentary individuals will be at the lower end.
Based on the information above, hopefully you have a better idea of what macros actually mean and what protein, fats and carbs do for our bodies. The important takeaway from this is that each person is different and macros don’t and shouldn’t take a one size all approach. What works for one person might not work for someone else. Something to be wary of is a macros template that is not built for you specifically. There is an episode of the 4th Pull Podcast featuring Jason Phillips, and he mentions that weight loss templates are built out so that anyone can lose weight using them. This sounds great, but it actually means that even individuals with the lowest metabolic response will lose weight, so if you have a higher metabolism you might experience adverse impacts of putting yourself at too large of a deficit. Additionally, following a diet that is considered “low” in a certain macro-nutrient (low carb, low fat) could contribute to important micro-nutrient deficiency if followed for an extended period of time. It is important to listen to your body’s signals- your energy levels, sleep patterns, mood, etc. – not just the number on the scale– when deciding if a nutritional approach is right for you.
Hopefully this post helps you navigate and understand the complex roles that macronutrients play in our bodies.
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Written By: Alexa Pancza