Now that we have a general idea of what protein and carbohydrate levels best enable good health, how do you determine the individualized amounts for YOUR body?
Finding the right balance of macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrates is a key factor in determining in health as well as fitness goals nutritionally. No matter whether you are an athlete, bodybuilder, or just somebody seeking to lose weight understanding how to calculate your protein and carbohydrate needs can help you meet your goals. In this article, we will give you a thorough guide to how to decide on appropriate amounts of the two nutrients designed specifically for your body.
Why Protein and Carbohydrate is Important — You are NOT what you eat, but WHAT THEY DO in YOUR BODY
The carbs and protein roles in the body: Before we get into hard numbers you should know how protein and carbohydrates work in your body first.
Protein
Proteins are literally the bricks of muscle, tissue, hormones and enzymes. They aid muscle repair, immune function, hormone production and amino acids for growht. Especially for athletes and bodybuilders, protein intake becomes very important as it is very essential in muscle synthesis and recovery after heavy workouts.
Carbohydrates
Carbs are the body's main source of fuel. These are broken down into glucose that powers both muscle as well brain function. Feel the Burn…Carbs are required to get you through those high-intensity workouts. An appropriate carb intake can help performance, but not enough carbs can result in fatigue and poor performance.
Step 1: Assess Your Goals
The best way to find out how you should structure your macronutrients is by simply determining what it is that you want:
Muscle Maintenance: Anyone looking to lose body weight, specifically fat, will be wanting to try and preserve muscle while cutting calories. In most cases, this means cutting carbs and increasing protein to promote lean mass.
Maintaining: If you are looking to maintain your weight/muscle mass, take in a balanced diet that meets your energy needs of the day with neither much surplus or deficit.
Step 2: Determine Your Daily Caloric Requirement
Rule 1: How many Calories to Start by identifying your total calorie requirement This is the base of managing your macros. This result is based on your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) multiplied by an activity factor. This can be estimated using an online calculator or use the formula below BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5 for menBMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161 for women
BMR Formula (Mifflin-St Jeor Equation[2])
Men: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) + 5
BMR for Women = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) -5 x age (y) -161
After getting your BMR, multiply it by an activity factor to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)957 x activity level = TDEE
Little to no exercise = BMR x 1.2
Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2 Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
Slightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.412Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : BMR x 1.')}};
Extremely active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training): BMR x 1.9
Step 3: Establish protein.
Once you have figured out your required caloric intake, the next thing to do is to figure out how many of those calories should come from protein. Protein needs vary from person to person and as per the goals of an individual, but usual suggestions are:
Base level of protein: 0.8 grams per kilogram body weight for general health
For lean bulk ~2.6g For muscle maintenance 1.2–1.7g
Muscle Gain: 1.6–2.2 g/kg body weight
Lets say you are a 70 kg man and you want to put on some muscle. And your protein intake should be 112 to 154 grams per day.
How Much Protein = 4 Calories per Gram of Protein
For instance, if you require 120 grams of protein, then you are eating 480 calories in protein.
Step 4: How Many Or Few Carbs are Too Much and Not Enough?
The amount of carbohydrate you need is going to be different depending on your energy needs, activity level and goals. Carbs should be increased for athletes or anyone doing high levels of activity, and may also be slightly reduced for fat loss reasons to produce a caloric deficit.
Recommended carbohydrate:
General health: 3-5 g carbohydrate per kg body weight
For moderate to high-intensity exercise: 5 to 7g of carbohydrate per kilo body weight
Endurance athletes or involved in respective phases: 6–10 g/kg body weight of carbohydrate
For example if a 70 kg man is trying to gain muscle, his range of carbohydrate Intake will be between 420g and 700g per day.
Conversion of Carbohydrate to Calories: 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories.
A lot of energy from carbs, about 1,600cal. for 400g carbs
Step 5: Adjust for Fat Intake
Subtract these calories from your daily goal and divide by 9 to find out how many grams of fat you have the remaining in your diet. Then the bad rap on fat comes in and everyone freaks out because little do they know, that fat is so essential for hormone production and proper brain function. However, it is a high calorie food and should be consumed in moderation.
Some general tips for fat consumption include:
Total fat: 20–35% of total daily calories
Active individuals; athletes: 20–30 percent of total daily calories
Assuming you are on a 2,500 calorie diet and have already taken 480 calories in the form of protein (120 grams) and 1,600 calories in the form of carbs (400 grams), that leaves you with 420 additional calories to divvy up amongst fats.
1g fat = 9 caloriesFat to Calorie Conversion
Then for 420 calories, you will be requiring to intake approximately 46 grams of fat each day.
Step 6: Monitor and Adjust
Especially given that nutrition is universal, and that different macronutrient ratios will yield varied results on an individual basis. Listen to your body, and pay careful attention to how you are responding to the amount of food you currently consume; and adjust if need be. If you are gaining fat then you may need to either cut carbs or fats. If you're feeling a little low energy during workouts, then up your carb intake.
Example Macronutrient Breakdown at 70 kg for Muscle Gain
Calories/Day (TDEE): 2,500 kcal
Protein: 150 grams (600 kcal)
Carbs: 450 g (1,800 kcal)
Fat: 45 grams (405 kcal)
Special Considerations
People carrying more muscle mass will generally have higher protein needs to preserve that mass in the long term — your body composition is yet another kind of consideration here. Those with a higher body fat percentage may base their protein off lean body mass and not total body weight.
Slow Metabolism: Over time your body may adapt to varying caloric levels. You should reconsider and potentially change your intake if you begin to plateau with weight loss or in terms of muscle gain.
Activity Levels: Individuals who lead more physically demanding lifestyles (i.e. Endurance based sports or bodybuilders), you will need to eat even more carbohydrates and pay particular attention to consuming adequate amounts before, during, and after exercise for optimal energy output and recovery.
Conclusion
The optimal combination of protein and carbohydrates is a carefully calculated amount, depending on your goals, behavior level, as well as exactly what the body needs. You can develop a plan of your own which suits your fitness and health interests after following the steps outlined in this guide Remember, consistency! and periodic timely self-assessment of the food intake keeps us on track to progress in the right direction.