Macronutrients — protein, carbs, and fat — are the vital components of food that give your body what it needs to thrive. It’s especially important to consume the right balance of macronutrients when eating to support high performance training.
ProteinProteins, which are made up of individual amino acids, serve as your body’s building blocks. They help build everything from muscle to skin, bones, and teeth.
They’re typically derived from animal sources, but some plant-based foods also provide protein. It’s best to choose leaner proteins most of the time.
These include:
chicken breastlean ground turkeylean cuts of pork or beeffishtofu and other high protein meat substitutessome grains, such as quinoalegumeslow fat cheese and cottage cheeseeggs and egg whitesProtein is particularly important for building muscle mass and helping you recover from training. This is due to its role in promoting muscle protein synthesis, the process of building new muscle.
The general recommendation for protein intake to support lean body mass and sports performance is around 0.7–1.0 grams (g) per pound (1.4–2.0 g per kilogram [kg]) of body weight per day.
CarbohydratesCarbs are your body’s preferred energy source. They fuel your daily functions, from exercising to breathing, thinking, and eating.
You’ll want to focus on getting at least half your daily carbs from fiber-rich sources such as:
brown ricewhole grain breadlegumesquinoasweet potatoeswhole grain pastaoatslow sugar cerealsrice cakesfruitnon-starchy vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, carrots, and cucumbersThe other half can come from simpler starches such as white rice, white potatoes, pasta, and the occasional sweets and desserts.
Simple carbs are best consumed around training sessions to top off or replenish glycogen stores, your body’s stored form of carbs.
The number of grams of carbs you should consume on a daily basis can vary greatly depending on your sport and which part of the season you’re in.
For example, an ultramarathon runner will need a vastly different amount of carbs than an Olympic weightlifter does.
Generally, carbs should make up 45–65% of your total calories. For example, if you consume 2,500 calories per day, this would equate to 280–405 g daily.
From there, you can adjust your carbohydrate intake to meet the energy demands of your sport or a given training session.
FatFor most people, fats are the body’s supporting or secondary energy source. In select cases, such as in keto-adapted athletes, they will provide a larger portion of daily energy needs.
Fats are unique because they provide 9 calories per gram, whereas protein and carbs provide 4 calories per gram.
In addition to providing energy, fats assist in hormone production, serve as structural components of cell membranes, and facilitate metabolic processes, among other functions.
Fats provide a valuable source of calories, help support sport-related hormones, and can help promote recovery from exercise.
In particular, omega-3 fatty acids possess anti-inflammatory properties that he been shown to help athletes recover from intense training.
In general, you’ll want to focus on consuming fats from health-promoting sources such as:
olive oilocadoseeds (sunflower, chia, hemp, flax)nuts and nut butterfatty fishwhole eggsAfter protein and carbohydrates, fats will make up the rest of the calories in your diet. This usually equates to 20–35% of your overall calories.