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Calories and exercise are not the only factors that affect whether or not you reach your fitness goals or how your body looks. Your macronutrient composition is also important.

You've likely heard that protein is important for muscle gain, but have you heard about macronutrient ratios? How about macro calculators? Do you know how to tailor your macronutrients to your fitness goals? Do you know if there are downsides to eating too much protein?

If you don't know all or some of these, continue reading to find out. We have detailed answers to all your questions and more.

What Are Macronutrients?

Macronutrients are the nutrients that provide the calories or energy needed for our bodies to function and maintain health. There are three primary macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Each plays a unique and essential role in our body, contributing to various biological processes.

Protein

Proteins are made up of amino acids, often called the building blocks of life. There are twenty different amino acids, and a protein's specific function depends on the amino acids present and their sequence.

Proteins are critical for building, maintaining, and repairing tissues in the body. They also play a role in processes such as hormone production, immune response, and the creation of enzymes and neurotransmitters.

Adequate protein intake is essential for muscle growth and repair, especially in athletes or those engaged in regular physical activity. Proteins also contribute to satiety, helping control hunger and appetite.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body's main fuel source and are primarily found in plant-based foods. They are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and are categorized into simple carbohydrates (sugars) and complex carbohydrates (starches and fibers).

Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which is the primary energy source for the brain, central nervous system, and muscles. Glucose can be used immediately or stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen for later use.

Besides providing energy, carbohydrates are important for intestinal health and waste elimination. They also play a role in influencing mood and memory.

Fats

Fats are dense energy sources, containing more than double the calories per gram compared to carbohydrates and proteins. They are essential components of every cell membrane and are involved in many vital functions.

Fats are necessary for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), protecting vital organs, and producing hormones. Dietary fats are also required to build cell membranes and several other important bodily functions.

Fats contribute to long-term energy storage, provide essential fatty acids that the body cannot produce on its own, and help maintain healthy skin and hair.

Who Should Track Macros?

For optimal health, it is expedient for everyone to track their macros. However, some people need to track their macros for certain reasons. Here are some examples:

Fitness Enthusiasts and Athletes: Those aiming to optimize their physical performance, build lean mass, or enhance endurance may track macros to ensure they are fuelling their bodies appropriately for their activity levels.
Individuals Trying to Lose Weight: Tracking macros can help people understand how different types of food affect their body weight and composition, enabling more targeted and potentially effective weight management strategies.
People With Certain Health Conditions: Individuals living with illnesses like diabetes may track macros to maintain blood sugar levels. Those with metabolic issues may track macros to balance hormone levels.

How Can I Figure Out What My Macros Should Be?

Your ideal macro ratio depends on several factors, such as your body weight or composition goals, health status, and dietary preferences. Macronutrient composition can vary from person to person, and there's no one approach that everyone should adhere to.

That said, here are some steps for tracking macros that will help you achieve your fitness goals.

Calculate Your Caloric Needs

Ultimately, your macros mostly determine your body composition and energy levels. But what causes weight loss and weight gain is your calorie intake. If you ingest more energy than you expend, you'll gain weight, and vice versa for weight loss.

So, before calculating your macronutrient ratio, you first want to know how much energy you should ingest daily. To do this, you can use an online calorie calculator. These tools determine your maintenance calories using information like your weight, height, age, and physical activity frequency.

Clearly Define Your Body Composition Goals

All three macronutrients are essential. In fact, you can hardly avoid them, as they are present in practically every food you eat. However, at this stage, you have to decide to eat more or less of one or more macronutrients, depending on your body composition goals. Body composition simply refers to the fat, bone, and muscle percentages in your body.

If you want to gain weight or gain more fat in certain areas, it will help to eat more fat, as this macronutrient has the highest number of calories. On the other hand, protein is essential if you're trying to gain lean body mass, so you have to eat more of that.

Carbs are essential for energy, and complex carbs usually contain fiber, an important nutrient that aids bowel movements.

Calculate Your Macros

The right protein intake is usually determined by checking body weight. If you don't work out at all or hardly exercise, science says you need about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. This number could even go up to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight if you're working out to grow muscle.

After tracking protein intake, you can now track other fats and carbohydrate intake. The American Council on Exercise suggests that 20 to 25 percent of your total daily calories come from fats.

How many carbohydrates you eat, on the other hand, depends on your body composition goals. If you're only eating 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight, there's room for a lot more carbs within your calorie limit. If, however, you're eating up to 2 grams of protein, there's less space for other macronutrients, meaning you will be forced to lower your carb intake.

If this is too complex, you could use a macro calculator. Like calorie calculators, these tools ask you for information regarding your activity levels and physical goals and create a macro ratio based on them.

Tips For Tracking Macros

Understand Your Macro Needs

First, determine your caloric needs based on your goals (maintenance, loss, or gain) and then calculate macros that align with those goals. Use online calculators or consult with a dietitian for accuracy.

Use a Macro Tracking App

Leverage technology to keep track of your daily intake. Apps like MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, Lifesum, and Lose it! allow you to log what you eat and monitor your macros throughout the day. They often have extensive food databases that make it easier to log meals.

Read Nutrition Labels

Get into the habit of reading labels to understand the macronutrient content of packaged foods. This will help you make informed decisions about which foods fit into your macro goals.

Weigh and Measure Your Food

For accuracy, weigh and measure your food, especially if you're just starting or have specific goals. Kitchen scales (affiliate link) and measuring cups (affiliate link) help ensure your portion sizes are accurate.

Balance Your Meals

Try to include all three macronutrients in each meal. This balance can help with satiety and increase your chances of getting all the nutrients your body needs throughout the day.

Be Consistent But Flexible

Consistency is key when it comes to calculating macros, but it's also important to allow for some flexibility. Life is unpredictable, and you may not always hit your macro targets perfectly. As a result, you should have a consistent but flexible dieting approach.

What is the Best Macro Ratio For Fat Loss?

As said above, you won't lose fat if you're not in a calorie deficit. However, your macronutrient ratio may help you lose fat by making a calorie deficit easier. A well-balanced diet, filled with the right amounts of carbs, protein, and fat, will keep you satiated, helping you fight hunger during a deficit.

That said, the American Council on Exercise suggests a 45/30/25 ratio for fat loss. This means your daily calorie intake would consist of 45 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 25 percent fat. With this ratio, you can eat 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kg of body weight daily. Such an amount has been shown to increase metabolism, instigating a higher basal metabolic rate (calories burned at rest).

What is the Best Macro Ratio For Muscle Gain?

Eating enough protein during a muscle gain phase is essential, as the macronutrient is needed for muscle repair and muscle protein synthesis. The International Sports Sciences Association suggests a 48/24/28 ratio for muscle gain. This means your total energy intake should consist of 48 percent carbs, 24 percent protein, and 28 percent fats.

What is the Most Important Macro to Track?

The most important macro to track is protein. It keeps you fuller for longer if your goal is weight loss, and it aids in muscle repair and recovery if your goal is weight gain. Regardless of your goals, it is expedient to incorporate dieting and regular exercise into trying to achieve them.

During regular exercise, however, you tend to task your muscles and put them through stress, and that's where eating enough protein comes in. It helps your muscles recover from the regular stress you put them through.

Nonetheless, you must also be careful with protein consumption. Scientific research asserts that chronic protein intake of more than 2 grams per kg of body weight daily could cause renal, digestive, or vascular abnormalities in some people. Eating 2 grams per kg of body weight is appropriate for the average healthy person, but anything far above that could cause some issues in the long run.

Final Thoughts

Figuring out the right balance of carbs, protein, and fats for your diet is really about what works best for you. Factors like age, activity level, and health goals play a part in this.

While there are some general rules to start with, the key is to adjust these based on how you feel and the results you see. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or just stay healthy, consuming the right mix of nutrients is important.

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all answer, and you can create any blend of healthy foods that fits your macros. If you want to make sure you're on the right track, talking to a nutritionist can help. They can customize your macro ratio to fit your personal needs, helping you effectively reach your goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 40/30/30 macro?

The 40/30/30 macro split is a dietary approach in which 40 percent of daily calorie intake comes from carbohydrates, 30 percent from proteins, and 30 percent from fats. This specific ratio was developed by Dr. Barry Sears, and its original aim was to balance hormone levels within the body for health and weight management.

However, this macro ratio ended up becoming popular because it is well-adapted to many people's fitness and nutrition needs.

What should my macros be for my body type?

Ectomorphs may need a higher percentage of carbohydrates to maintain energy levels and support metabolic activity. A common macro split is 50 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein, and 20 percent fat.

Mesomorphs often do well on a balanced macronutrient distribution. A typical split might be 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fats.

Endomorphs, on the other hand, could benefit from a lower carb intake to manage body fat. A suggested macro split is 25 percent carbohydrates, 35 percent protein, and 40 percent fats.

What should a woman's macros look like?

Many factors, including age, activity level, current health status, and specific health or fitness goals, affect a woman's macros. For example, to maintain satiety and muscle preservation, a woman's macros for weight loss could be 30 to 50 percent carbs, 25 to 35 percent protein, and 25 to 35 percent fats.

Is 40 protein too much?

Forty grams of protein per meal is not too much. However, this depends on your protein needs and how many meals you eat throughout the day. For the average sedentary adult, the recommended amount of protein is 0.8 grams per kg of body weight daily.

More active individuals need even more protein — 1.2 to 2 grams per kg of body weight. If you can achieve these numbers by eating 40 grams of protein per meal, then that's ideal.

Main image credit: Jane Trang Doan / Pexels

The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.