The Big Three (Macromolecules)
When you consume food your body absorbs it as protein, carbohydrates, and fats that are then processed through 3 different pathways. These are known as the three macromolecules. If you’ve taken biochemistry you will have an idea of the three different paths involved in the breakdown of each of those macros. My goal is for you to have a basic understanding of what each macro molecule is, what it does, how it is processed, and why all of this is important. I will do my best to condense the most brutal parts of my biochemistry class into bite size pieces. We’ll start with the most frequently consumed, and to many people the most addicting macromolecule…carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates
1 gram consumed = 4 calories
When you consume carbohydrates whether they are complex or simple they are all eventually broken down into glucose, for the most part. Glucose then goes on to enter a process called “glycolysis.” Glyco - meaning “sugar,” and -lysis meaning “breaking apart.” Put these together and this process is basically the breaking down of glucose to eventually create a form that your body will use. This form is called ATP and it is the energy unit that all living cells use in your body. Believe it or not, in order to create this form of energy the body actually has to “invest” some ATP to then make more than it puts in. Your body will continue to create ATP using the glucose you ate until it no longer needs the energy. So what happens to the rest?
Once your body has created enough ATP to be used for current processes it converts some of it into glycogen which is just glucose that is stored in the liver and muscle. This is for purposes where your body may need quick access to glucose. The process of breaking down glycogen into active units of glucose is fast and ideal for situations where you need energy “now”. As for the remaining carbohydrates you ate, if they are not being used, and your glycogen stores are full, guess what it is getting converted into? Fat. And that gets stored just about everywhere as we know.
It is important to know what carbohydrates are and how they are used in order to use them to our advantage. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in our body, and if they are not used completely they will get stored as fat. So, the amount of carbs we consume in a day should be based off the energy we expect to use in that day. Obviously, that is difficult to measure, but I want you to start thinking with the mentality of “eat for energy.” This is how most athletes and health forward individuals view food because in essence that is exactly what it is. Energy. Therefore, on days where you are going to be exercising or doing strenuous work you will want to consume more carbohydrates. However, on days where you are more sedentary you will want to drop carbs a bit and focus on increasing your protein instead. I will dive deeper into this in my posts about “carb-cycling,” and “macromolecule splits.” In the meantime, let’s get on to the next macromolecule.
Fats
1 gram consumed = 9 calories)
Let me be clear, fat is important. It is a major component for the formation of all of our hormones which run our body. However, I am just focusing on how it is processed right now so you have all the pieces to your puzzle. Fat when consumed takes the least amount of energy to process because it is already in its ready form. If you consume fat your body absorbs it and breaks it down to fatty acids where some are used to create hormones but the rest get stored. Your fat only gets broken down to make hormones, or when you have minimal glucose available and your body needs energy. Then it will use up fat via another pathway to create energy.
A common scenario where eating more fats has been useful for people is when they go for the “keto diet.” The reason this works in part is because carbohydrates and the act of overconsuming them is essentially eliminated. Since most Americans’ source of calories come from carbohydrates, paired with a sedentary lifestyle, this leads to an imbalance where most of that energy is not used and instead is stored. Again, carbohydrates are NOT bad. They just need to be consumed with intention. All food should be consumed with intention, and sometimes that intention can be simply that it tastes good and you just want to enjoy it. That is a perfectly good reason…just not all the time. The other reason why a diet high in fats may work well is because it is highly satiating. In other words, it keeps you feeling full for longer, similar to protein. Therefore, you eat less throughout the day likely leading to your energy balance being negative, which is always the golden reason why anyone ever loses weight.
I want you to understand this so that you have the tools to build a diet that fits your needs throughout the day. I can give you a plan to just follow, and perhaps that is what is needed in the beginning. However, my aim is always to teach how to do what I do rather than to just give you the information with minimal understanding. Think about how much energy the body requires to store something that is basically ready to be stored from the very beginning. Unlike carbs or protein where you have to do multiple conversions requiring energy, fat has so many fewer steps. So, if fats take the least amount of energy, then what takes the most amount of energy?
Protein
1 gram consumed = 4 calories
The amount of conversions and regulatory processes that occur with protein in the body far exceed that of fat and carbohydrates. What does this mean? It means that the body has to invest more energy to get the unit of protein consumed to the right place and in a form that can be used later on. Protein is essential for the building of muscle mass which is the key to having a healthy metabolic rate!
Additionally, when your body does require energy, protein is typically the last thing to get broken down since 1 gram of protein does not generate as much ATP as carbohydrates. In fact, it is first the carbohydrates that get used, then the extra fat gets broken down, and only then does the protein from you muscle get broken down. But, even protein can eventually get stored into fat if consumed in excess, which would be quite difficult to do by the way.
Increasing your protein intake is great because it requires more energy to break down. But pair that with exercise and suddenly your body will use more protein by building your muscle mass. More muscle mass means greater energy requirements. Greater energy requirements means a higher BMR and ultimately more calories being used at baseline per day. And there lies one of the keys to it all. Consuming more protein is an important step towards a healthy body that will work for you and make your fitness goals more attainable.
How can we optimize our macros?
Ultimately, how you decide to structure your diet throughout the day is up to you and your needs. What I have described above is only the fundamentals of the macromolecules you consume. Once you feel like you understand this we can dive deeper in what are “macro-splits” and what is “carb-cycling.” Briefly, “macro-splits” refer to what percent each “macro” makes up of your total daily calories consumed. For example, a 40/40/20 split would mean 40% of your calories would be protein, 40% would be carbs, and 20% would be fat. Which is a commonly used macro by the way.
“Carb-cycling” on the other hand refers to the concept I spoke above where I say we should eat for energy that we need and will use. For example, if you have a workout day on Monday, I would advise increasing carbohydrates consumed by 10-15% for that day, and decreasing it by that amount on days you aren’t as active. This increases efficiency on how your body uses and stores energy. It will also help with fat-loss if timed well, for it will enable your body to use fat as energy on low carb days.
Both of these concepts, along with a few other ones are a bit more advanced. If you are new to all of this I would focus strictly on mastering calories in and out first, as well as creating a consistent gym schedule. Then, we can optimize using a variety of strategies.
Takeaways:
1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories, 1 gram of protein = 4 calories, 1 gram of fat = 9 calories
Fats require the least amount of energy to process, while protein requires the most
Increasing protein will stimulate increased muscle synthesis, and increase your thermic effect of food. Both of which will increase total calories burned
Food should be consumed as needed for energy and within the limits of your TDEE for optimal results
It is ok to enjoy certain foods you love, but not if it is consistently at the detriment of your health
Each macromolecule has its function, understand it and apply it towards creating a diet plan for you
Quick trick: If trying to lose weight, drop a cup of carbs per meal that you eat, and replace it with a lean protein such as chicken, turkey, and some cuts of red meat.