Macro and Micro Nutrients

“You have to count your macros if you want to see results in the gym!” I hear this all the time from personal trainers, fitness instructors, and random people working out in the gym. I am sure you have heard it to. The saying means nothing if you do not know what it means. The slang terminology of macros is short for the scientific term Macro-nutrients. According to Dr. John Hensrud, the head of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, macro means “big”. “The three big nutrients we are talking about here is proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids (fats)” (Roth, I. 2018). These three macro-nutrients are measured and consumed by the gram.

One could assume that micro means small, and that micro-nutrients are the smaller nutrients our bodies need to function properly. The micro-nutrients are broken down into two categories: vitamins and minerals. “Vitamins are necessary for energy production, immune function, blood clotting and other functions. Meanwhile, minerals play an important role in growth, bone health, fluid balance and several other processes” (Streit, L. 2018).

            “As a result, from the Nutrition Education and Labeling Act of 1990, all food labels are required to have common name of the product, name and address of manufacturer, weight (or count), Nutrient contents, ingredients, and allergy warnings” (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). Coming from someone who bases their daily decisions on whether I eat something based off the nutrition label, I find these tools abundantly helpful and essential to calculate my macros.

If more Americans would base their decisions on what they consume by these labels, they would be more aware of where their problems lie within their diet. By looking at how many calories are in a serving size and exactly what a serving size is, more obese people could lose weight and understand the math behind eating healthy. A specific example for my diet would be when I go out to eat at a restaurant, if they cannot provide me the nutritional facts on the menu or other source, I normally do not order anything. It drives my wife crazy, but I know what my nutritional needs are, and I strive to reach them every day.

What counting your macros does for you is enables you to gauge if you are getting the amount of protein, carbs, and fats you need daily. Each one of us will have unique macros based on four main things:

1.    Body type (Endomorph, Ectomorph, or Mesomorph)

2.    Metabolic rate (how many calories your body burns off doing nothing).

3.    Current Body Weight

4.    Goal Body Weight

I will attach a YouTube video to give a more detailed explanation of what counting macros is and how it benefits you and assists people in reaching their fitness and health goals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HXkkanqPKA

           

Works Cited:

1.    Oz Media, LLC. (2019). How to Eat Your Vitamins: One Sheet. Retrieved from: https://www.doctoroz.com/article/how-eat-your-vitamins-one-sheet

2.    Roth, I. (2018). Mayo Clinic: The Difference Between Macronutrients and Micronutrients. Retrieved from: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-the-difference-between-micronutrients-and-macronutrients/

3.    Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2017). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (14th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
ISBN-13: 978-1-30563937-9, ISBN-10: 1-305-63937-5

4.    Streit, L. (2018). Micronutrients: Types, Functions, Benefits, and More. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/micronutrients