Macronutrients – What You Should Know About Them

Macronutrients are important building blocks for our body. Macronutrient distribution plays an important role in this. You probably know them as protein , fat and carbohydrates .

In the right amount, together with moderate exercise , they maintain the healthy function of your body.

Too much unhealthy fat and carbohydrates, in the form of sugar , are bad. But you don't have to do without them entirely.

With this article, we want to show you how the macronutrients are structured, what tasks they have in the body, and what the optimal intake per day looks like.

You will also learn how to calculate and influence your basal metabolic rate .

The most important thing in a nutshell:

What are macronutrients?

Macronutrients give our body energy. They are one of the most important parts of our diet.

You need to consume protein, fat, and carbohydrates in the right macronutrient distribution to maintain your health.

The nutritional value of foods, such as porridge or cereal , is expressed in kilocalories or joules. The individual macronutrients differ in their energy content.

If your body metabolizes them, their energy will be released.

What is the difference between macro and micronutrients?

In addition to macronutrients, there are also micronutrients . Macronutrients alone are not enough to optimally supply your body.

It also needs the so-called micronutrients. They differ in size because "macro " means large and "micro " means small .

Micronutrients include vitamins, trace elements, and minerals that do not provide energy. They support your immune system and cell regeneration in the body.

Without an adequate supply, many processes would not function properly, such as the defense against pathogens or wound healing.

What macronutrients are there?

Carbohydrates , proteins and fats are macronutrients and part of a healthy diet.

You need

carbohydrates for your muscles and the brain. They are an important source of energy and also regulate the metabolism of proteins and fats.

Fats not only serve as flavor carriers; the body needs them for various processes. They contain twice as much energy as carbohydrates.

You need proteins to build muscle and build your body cells. They are considered the building material of the body.

How should the macronutrients be distributed?

The optimal macronutrient distribution depends on the goals you pursue. If you want to build muscle particularly strongly, your body needs a higher amount of proteins and carbohydrates.

The ratio of macronutrients to stay healthy: 55-60% carbohydrates, 15-20% protein, and 20-30% unsaturated fats.

The Macronutrients Recommendation of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) gives a visual impression of what a healthy diet looks like with the help of the food pyramid. .   If these are followed approximately, a nutrient deficiency should be avoided.

How many carbohydrates, fat, and protein per day?

The amount of carbohydrates, fat, and protein you need per day can best be explained with the basal metabolic rate. It indicates how much energy your body needs at least to complete its tasks.

You can calculate the optimal amount of macronutrients. According to the rule of 50 to 60% , you need about 5-6 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of your body weight.

For 30% fat in your diet, it takes 9.3 grams per kilogram of your body weight. 15% proteins make up 0.8 to 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight.

However, how much energy your body needs also depends on your weight, muscle size, age, and gender.

Here is a macronutrients table with foods that are rich in macronutrients.

The reference amount is one 100-gram serving each:

Carbohydrates	Fat	Protein
Millet – 69 g	Olive oil – 100 g	Hemp seeds – 37 g
Beans –  63 g	Walnuts – 70 g	Lentils – 24 g
Quinoa – 60 g	Flaxseed – 36.50 g Chia seeds – 31 g	Kidney beans – 22g
Oatmeal – 58.7g	Dark chocolate – 31.3 g	Almonds 20g
Sweet potato – 20 g	Avocado – 12.50 g	Chickpeas 19 g
Brown rice – 23 g	Salmon – 12.20 g	Yoghurt 10g

Carbohydrates – daily requirement and effect in the body

Carbohydrates serve as an energy source for your body. They are divided into simple and complex carbohydrates and differ mainly in their effect. If you do a lot of sports, you should eat more carbohydrates and proteins.

To meet the energy needs of about 2000 kilocalories , women need 240 grams of carbohydrates per day. Men need a little more carbohydrates with 300 grams per day. You should make sure to consume complex carbohydrates in particular.

Simple Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are mainly found in sugary foods. This includes fast food, sodas and sweets . They are available to the body more quickly, but at the same time increase blood sugar levels.

Then insulin comes into play. This is used to bring the mirror back to normal. However, this usually falls so badly that it leads to hypoglycemia.

This makes you feel tired and flabby, or even cravings. Numerous studies ^​1​ have already identified the link between simple carbohydrates, obesity, and type 2 diabetes .

Therefore, these should only appear very moderately on your menu. It is healthier to eat only complex carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates

You absorb complex carbohydrates more slowly. Therefore, they also have a higher benefit for the body. Blood sugar only rises slowly, and you feel full for longer.

Thanks to their fiber, they also contribute to gut health. Digestion needs them to be able to excrete unnecessary ingredients more quickly.

This also makes cravings and fatigue less common. You will thus also be supplied with energy for a longer period of time.

The “good” carbohydrates are found in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Macronutrients plants, these are healthy carbohydrates bombs :

If you predominantly take complex carbohydrates, this will help your body lose weight.

Protein – daily requirement and effect in the body

Proteins or proteins can be found in plant and animal foods. Your body needs them to build muscles, cells, organ tissue, and tendons.

But they also support the immune system and the regulation of hormones and enzymes. Proteins consist of various amino acids.

Some can be made by the body itself; others must be fed. According to the DGE, an adult human should consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

With a body weight of 70 kilograms, this corresponds to about 56 grams; with a body weight of 60 kilograms, it is about 48 grams of protein per day. With moderate training, you need 1.2 – 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight.

Essential amino acids

Essential amino acids are often referred to as the building blocks of life. Amino acids that should be in your diet include L-methionine, L-tryptophan, L-lysine, and L-phenylalanine.

They must be available to the body in sufficient quantities to function optimally. These are contained in legumes, nuts , meat, fish, and dairy products.

Conditionally essential amino acids

Conditionally essential or semi-amino acids are formed from other amino acids. They only need to be fed to the body if the body's own production is insufficient. L-arginine and L-glutamine are semi-essential amino acids.

Fat – daily requirement and effect in the body

Fats are also important for a healthy diet, but should not make up the majority of the diet. They should make up a maximum of 30% of the diet.

Guidelines are 80 g for men and 60 g for women. A distinction is made here between saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Saturates

You make this form of fatty acids yourself from glucose or protein. These are the rather unhealthy fatty acids.

They are found in butter, lard, and meat products. In plants, saturated fatty acids are almost nonexistent.

Mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids can be produced by your body partly from other nutrients. Therefore, they must be ingested through food.

Two-thirds of the total fat intake should consist of these fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acids can be found in nuts , vegetable oils, oil fruits, seeds, and in fatty fish.

Trans fatty acids

Although trans fats are unsaturated fatty acids, they are probably harmful to health. They are found in industrially manufactured foods or are caused by heavy heating of oil.

How much energy does the body need per day?

How much energy is needed must always be considered individually. The DGE lists 2,200 calories for men and 1,900 calories for women as daily needs.

This is based on a BMI of 22 with low physical activity.

Basal metabolic rate

The basal metabolic rate tells you how much energy your body needs at rest.

If you build muscle, your basal metabolic rate also increases. The calories basal metabolic rate can be calculated with height, age, and gender.

Revenue from services

Performance turnover provides information about how much energy your body needs for performance.

Since the amount of daily muscle work depends on the work and the movement, it is also considered individually. For this purpose, it is divided into five groups:

Any power that exceeds the basal metabolic rate consumes additional energy. It is difficult to calculate precisely, as it is based on a subjective assessment of one's own performance. The overall principle results from the basal metabolic rate and service turnover.

Heat formation by energy – thermogenesis

Thermogenesis is the generation of heat by metabolic processes in the body. Excess energy is burned and released again as heat.

You can support this process through activities that require a lot of energy. Stamina and strength training are suitable for this. A lot of water and spicy food also boosts the metabolism.

Conclusion

A healthy diet with carbohydrates, fats, and proteins is important. If you want to build or lose muscle, you can't do without it.

Fats have a bad reputation, but the right type and amount of healthy fats do not affect your health and are essential for your body.

Unsaturated fats from plants are even beneficial for physical performance.

1. 1.

   Schulze MB. Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Weight Gain, and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Young and Middle-Aged Women. Jama . Published online August 25, 2004:927. doi: 10.1001/jama.292.8.927