Macronutrients

‘Macronutrients’ is probably one of the most used terms to date when it comes to nutrition.  You will hear the term thrown around everywhere you go.

From training facilities, colleges, high schools, and even your basic 24-hour gym – I can’t tell you the amount of times I have heard, “ It doesn’t fit my macros” or “ I have to hit my macros bro”.

The funny thing is, most people do not really understand the benefits of eating a well-balanced diet, what macronutrients are, or what they do for the body.

All too often I see guys drinking six protein shakes a day. Let me say that again, not eating food but drinking a supplement six times a day.  The definition of supplement is, “something that completes or enhances something else.” A protein shake should enhance or add value to your training and recovery, not be the main meal of the day. Yes, sometimes travel or school make it necessary to consume protein in shake form, but that isn’t ideal and typically comes down to not being prepared.

So, what are macronutrients?

What do they do?  What should our meals look like? The three macronutrients are Proteins (Read about Whey Protein), Carbohydrates (Read about Carbs), and Lipids (Read about Fat Intake for Athletes).  All are extremely important and have their own functions within the body.

(See below)

Now, how do we use this information?

Many of us have heard about a balanced diet, but very few fully grasp this concept.

When we say balanced diet, all we simply mean is that we should have elements of all three macronutrients within our nutrition.  These will change from person to person depending on their caloric needs, goals, and activity level. So, before we start worrying about supplements, we should start focusing on our meals and whether or not we are getting the calories and nutrients we need.

Stop worrying about shining the rims when your engine does not run!