Macronutrients Explained

Recently a lot of individuals are considering their diets and attempting to design healthier meal options for themselves and their loved ones. One quick search on the internet will give you a range of opinions and ideas, most of them completely misguided and potentially dangerous. Eating healthy shouldn’t be a chore, and with a little information is actually easier than most individuals think. The following information on the macronutrients protein, carbohydrates, and fat hopefully will shed some scientific truths.

 

Carbohydrates 

• NOT the enemy the diet industry tries to portray it as.
• Essential for the proper functioning of the energy cycles involved with burning fat for energy.
• Zero carb diets= water loss, not fat loss.
• Consist of simple/complex carbohydrates
• Majority of your carbohydrate intake should come from complex, with simple only being consumed in breakfast, pre and post exercise.
• The glycemic index is a great tool when choosing what carbohydrates to consume. 55 and under on the scale are your best options.
• Eat fruits and vegetables in their most natural, raw forms. Even freezing can drastically affect its nutrient profile. Ex. Vitamin E is sensitive to colder temperatures, freezing will actually destroy it.
• Consume grains in their least processed forms. The more processing, the higher the glycemic index and a greater potential for storage. Also less processing helps the product retain more of its natural fiber.
• Carbohydrates should be the dominant macronutrient in your diet, when dieting reduce fats first, then simple carbs, and if absolutely necessary, complex carbs.

 

Protein 

• Consume lean meats, but still eat red meat periodically.
• Eat a variety of proteins to avoid potential specific amino acid deficiencies.
• Protein source with every meal. Don’t pile huge amounts in one meal, then almost none the next.
• Proteins can provide a longer sense of fullness due to its prolonged digestion time.
• Do not let protein supplements dominate your diet. Never let supplemental protein exceed 10-20% of your total protein intake.
• Vegetarians: Be sure to eat your plant based proteins in combination to create a complete protein. Ex. Consuming rice with beans to provide a complete amino acid profile.
• Athletes/active individuals: As you increase protein intake due to body demands be sure to add supplemental B-6, it’s a crucial cofactor for amino acid metabolism.

 

Fats 

• Once again, not all fats are bad.
• Consume a diet high in essential fats, while watching intake of saturated fats and cholesterol.
• A majority of the average American diet is already high in Omega-6. Overconsumption of omega-6 has been linked to slowing metabolism, while diets high in omega-3(from fish oil, flax seed oil, etc..) tend to boost metabolism.
• Fats should only consist of 10-20% of calories in your diet.
• When dieting for weight loss, fats should be the first macronutrient to be reduced. 

 

One final note concerning designing your meals, every meal should contain every macronutrient. The body works like a machine and uses each macronutrient for just about every process. Eliminating just one macronutrient forces the body to convert pieces of another into the omitted portion. This leaves the body with a lacking nutrient profile and will heavily dampen the effectiveness of the system. Give your body what it needs and it will repay you in kind. Eat well, be well!

 

 

Michael Petrinjak, CFT

Evolve Training Systems

www.Evolvets.com

MPetrinjak@evolvets.com

Cardio Training: When and Why

I’m fairly certain at this day and age everyone is familiar with cardiovascular training, or “cardio”. It’s an extremely successful tool and should be a part of your fitness program. One of the more popular questions is where do you fit your cardio in your day in relation to your weight training? I plan on keeping this article short and to the point, while still allowing the topic to be significantly discussed.

 

            For most individuals it is always best to do your cardio training AFTER your weight resistance training, and should be no more than 15- 20 minutes in duration. This doesn’t mean your pre-workout warm up jog or walk; this is in reference to your actual cardio training. Please keep in mind Athletes in general and bodybuilders preparing for a show are exempt from this due to a variety of factors. This statement is made to the individual who is considering time and place of his cardio regimen to maximize results in both weight resistance training and cardiovascular performance. The next few paragraphs will explain why.

 

            First, let’s start with muscle fiber varieties. The two categories involved in this discussion are fast twitch and slow twitch fibers. Fast twitch represent powerful, highly recruited, short duration fibers. Their main source for energy production is from carbohydrates, and secondary from fats. They are the main fibers worked during weight resistance training. Slow twitch represent Long duration, lightly recruited, heavily fatigue resistant fibers. They are perfectly designed for “long haul” activities such as many cardio sessions will provide. Even though slow twitch use some carbohydrates for energy, their main source is from fats. At this point you may already see the overlap. Both fibers utilize the same macronutrients for energy, but in different proportions. Both fibers will initially use carbohydrates for energy, but slow twitch fibers are better suited for the use of fats for the duration of the exercise. Fast twitch fibers are better suited using carbohydrates for energy, with fats only being an option after exhaustion of carbohydrates. So in order to utilize the best of both fibers it would make sense to train fast twitch initially when blood sugar is at its peak, then train slow twitch to make its primary energy source the only available, fats.

            This may also be better explained by discussing a noticeable phenomenon known as “The Wall”. Distance runners will commonly refer to a time while they are running of a period where they feel like they hit a wall. They will feel heavily fatigued for a few minutes, then they notice a “second wind” where their energy levels return almost stronger then before. “The Wall” refers to the time when the body has run out of carbohydrates and the small refractory period where energy systems switch to burning fats. The “second wind” is the beginning of the body catching up to the energy demands of the tissue through burning fats. Weight resistance training first will pre-exhaust carbohydrates to allow for the wall to be noticed much sooner into your cardio regimen, thus increasing the overall efficiency of the session.

 

            Please keep in mind as I mentioned earlier, this article was designed to assist an individual in timing their weight resistance and cardio sessions to maximize their potential. When Individuals ask about this topic, this is my opinion with a little actual science added to better get the understanding across. I hope it helps in building your regimens.

 

Michael Petrinjak, CFT

Evolve Training Systems

www.Evolvets.com

MPetrinjak@evolvets.com