To support your workout goals, you’ll need a healthy, balanced diet that makes you feel energized and strong. When organizing what you’d like to cook and eat, there are some nutrients or food groups you should consume more of than others: these are known as macronutrients (or simply ‘macros’ for short).
To help you build a stable nutrition plan in addition to a sustainable fitness routine, the team at F45 will be taking you through everything macros. Below, you’ll explore what macronutrients are, and learn about the different types of macronutrients, their benefits, and how much you should eat of each.
What are macronutrients?
Macronutrients are nutrients that you should eat in large amounts to power your body. The fundamental macro food groups are:
- Carbohydrates (carbs)
- Protein
- Fats
These macros are essential because your body uses them for specific functions – but doesn’t naturally produce enough of these macros to sustain itself¹.
All macros give you energy in the form of calories, but carbs are your most efficient energy source – so, if you want to improve your running endurance or prepare yourself for a high-intensity cardio workout, you’ll want to load up on them. Fats and then protein (in that order) can also be converted into energy, but only after your carb stores have been used. Your body prefers to use fats and protein for other purposes, such as cell function and muscle recovery.
Macronutrient examples: what foods contain micronutrients?
Now you know what macronutrients are, you next need to know what foods provide them. So, if you’re learning how to meal prep for the week and are wondering “what macros should I eat?” you’ll find a clear list of healthy macronutrient examples below.
Sources of protein
Protein is found in a variety of foods, helping you recover from injury and treat DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) after a workout.
Common sources of protein are:
- Meat: chicken, beef and turkey.
- Soy: tofu, tempeh and soy milk.
- Seafood: salmon, tuna and shrimp.
- Legumes: beans, chickpeas and lentils
- Dairy: milk, yoghurt and cheese.
- Nuts: walnuts, pine nuts and brazil nuts.
- Seeds: pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds and sunflower seeds.
Sources of carbohydrates
Whether you need quick or long-lasting energy, carbs are your go-to. To maximize workout energy, we recommend learning what carb cycling is, so you can optimize the following macronutrient examples for your training regime.
Common sources of carbs include:
- Grains: rice, oats and pasta.
- Legumes: beans, chickpeas and lentils.
- Vegetables: potatoes, pumpkin and carrots.
- Fruit: grapes, strawberries and mangoes.
- Dairy: milk, cheese, yoghurt.
Sources of fat
Fats are your secondary source of energy in a macronutrient diet, playing a key role in supporting your cell growth, hormone production and vitamin absorption².
Common sources of fats are:
- Fruit: avocado, coconuts and olives.
- Nuts: cashews, pistachios and macadamia nuts.
- Seafood: salmon, mackerel, and eel.
- Dairy: yogurt, milk and cheese.
What do macros do for your body?
So, what are macronutrients actually doing in your body?
Well, macros have a range of purposes and functions that can empower your workout goals. From improving the connection between hormones and weight loss to regulating your nervous system, read on for an in-depth look on the functions of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
Proteins
There are 20 different types of amino acids, nine of which your body is unable to make. For the rest, it relies on the protein in the macronutrient examples (listed above) that you eat. By digesting protein, your body gets essential amino acids – which it then uses, in turn, to make new proteins.
Read on to explore the variety of ways in which your body uses these proteins.
Muscle recovery and repair: a high-protein diet ensures your muscles can rebuild and become stronger after resistance workouts, helping you maximize rest days and recovery.
Chemical reactions: a key task of protein is to function as enzymes, increasing the rate of all chemical reaction with your cells³. This allows you to get energy from the food you eat, quicker.
pH balance: proteins regulate the pH balance of your blood and other bodily fluids.
Body structure: many proteins are used as the building blocks of many parts of your body, including your organs, hair, nails, skin and cell membranes.
Hormones: some proteins become hormones, which influence your mood, appetite and immunity.
Carbohydrates
Most of the carbs you eat are turned into glucose or sugar, which your body then uses as energy. The carb-loaded energy stores you create are powerful, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of strength training to support your health.
If you’re wondering “what macros should I eat and why should I eat them?”, we’ll cover all the bodily functions carbs support below:
Energy: carbs are primarily broken down into glucose, which powers your body’s cells, tissues and organs.
Energy storage: glucose is also stored in your muscles and liver. This is used whenever you need it, so, even if you’re fasting, you can still blast through a hybrid workout.
Digestion: the fiber you get from healthy carbs improves digestion and also helps you feel full. This is why you shouldn’t avoid carbs in your holistic weight loss management plan, but instead focus on eating healthy carbs.
Fats
The fats our body obtains from macros get broken down into a variety of fatty acids and glycerol. These compounds serve several functions, including:
Insulation: Fat surrounds many of your body parts – such as your organs and the cushiony areas in your heels and toes4 – to protect them. This is why eating a healthy macronutrient diet is a key part of preventing injury during a workout.
Energy storage: fat is stored in your body as a secondary form of energy, after your carb stores. Your body draws on this energy whenever you’re burning more calories than you’re consuming.
Vitamin absorption: fats in your bloodstream dissolve vitamins like A, D, E and K when you eat them, enabling your body to absorb these vitamins.
What ratio of macros should you eat?
There are several types of macronutrients, each with their own benefits and functions for your body. But how much of each should you eat in a healthy diet?
In general, it’s recommended your macros are within the following ranges of your daily intake.
- Protein: 10 to 35%
- Carbs: 45 to 65%
- Fat: 20 to 35%
Depending on your workout goals, the amount you eat of each macro should change.
Are you focused on building lean muscle?
Then you want to increase your protein intake and slightly decrease your carb intake.
Is your central goal to lose weight?
Try reducing your carb intake.
In any case, macronutrients are a fundamental part of a healthy exercise diet. To begin with, we recommend focusing on packing your diet full of the healthy macronutrient examples suggested above. Once you know what to eat, you can then begin to tweak your diet towards your goals.
A healthy macronutrient diet will empower your fitness journey, helping you smash F45 workouts. Now, to elevate your workout plan, learn about the difference between high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and cardio.
¹ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7468865/
² https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26177664/
³ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9921/