Macronutrients: Why are They Important in Our Diet

The Job of Each Macronutrient

Fats are necessary for providing energy for the body to function.

Fats help with hormone production, absorption of important vitamins, and cell growth.

Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for the brain and the preferred energy source for several body tissues.

They are also important for maintaining body temperature, digesting food, and keeping the heart beating.

Proteins are important for keeping the muscles, tissues, and bones healthy.

Protein is essential in the repair, maintenance, and development of body tissue.

Macronutrients Role in Dieting

Macronutrients, when eaten in the right ratios, will improve your weight, health, and overall well-being. 

According to the Institute of Medicine, the acceptable macronutrients that adults should consume in their diet are 45-65% carbohydrates, 10-35% protein, and 20-35% fat.  

However, if you’re trying to lose weight and build muscle, you will need to alter your macronutrient intake. 

This would need to be done on an individual basis, and not a one size fits all thing.  

You would need to consider several factors like age, gender, fitness goals, and body type (ectomorph, mesomorph, or Endomorph). 

Men and women develop muscles differently due to hormone levels. 

Men tend to build muscle faster than women. Women tend to burn fat for fuel, while men are better at using glycogen for energy.

As we age, it is harder to build muscle mass, but it is still possible.   

Macronutrient diets can be very healthy. However, they have a high error rate when first starting. 

It is usually best to start by logging your intake to see what calories you require to maintain your current weight. 

You would then want to divide out your macros from the total calories. 

To do this, you could go through a mathematical approach or use a macro calculator that you can find online. 

Then, begin to tweak your calories and macros based on your fitness goals. Do you want to lose weight, maintain or gain weight?  Do you want to add muscle or tone your body? 

It is best to give your macro diet a few months to see what results you get before you change it.

The body takes some time to adjust to change, and it will not change overnight.  

Macronutrients and Body Types

Different body types also require different macro ratios. 

For example, an ectomorph is slender and tends to lose fat easily. When trying to gain muscle, they need more carbohydrates, moderate protein, and lower fats.

A Mesomorph is more muscular and needs a more moderate carbohydrate, moderate protein, and moderate fat diet to gain muscle.

An Endomorph stores more fat around the hips and midsection, so they need lower carbs, with higher proteins and fats. 

Including Macronutrients in Your Diet

Many diets today focus on macronutrients including Weight Watchers, Paleo, Keto, If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) diet.

Be sure to choose healthy carbs, proteins, and fats.

Try to steer clear of processed food or anything from a bag or box, aka fast food.

Again, you want to start slowly with this.

You could just begin by swapping out one or two of the unhealthy choices with a healthier choice.