Macros are short for macronutrients. There are three macros that every living creature needs to survive: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Carbohydrates are the body’s primary energy source, which is why endurance athletes need them in their diet.
Proteins are necessary for building and repairing muscles. And fats are a great energy source in a world where carbohydrates aren’t readily available.
Endurance should be counting macros for the following reasons:
Increasing Performance
Each one plays an essential role in the human body, but macros also have another critical function that isn’t related to sustaining life when it comes to endurance athletes. Carbs, proteins, and fats affect one’s performance during endurance exercise in different ways.
Endurance athletes need to use this guide to calculate their macros to ensure they are getting the right amounts. By understanding how macros work together, athletes can fine-tune their diet to reach their performance goals.
Carbs are the most critical macro for endurance athletes when it comes to performance. They’re the body’s main source of energy and have been shown to improve endurance exercise performance when consumed in the right amounts.
Protein is essential for endurance athletes, but the type and amount of protein one should take in each day depends on their goals. Endurance athletes who want to build muscle mass might need more protein than those who don’t care about gaining muscle.
Fat is also an energy source that’s essential during endurance exercise, and for this reason, it should be a part of everyone’s diet. However, it’s important to be mindful of the types of fats that you’re eating. Some fats, like saturated and trans fats, can harm your health and performance. Instead, aim to eat unsaturated fats, which have been shown to improve endurance performance.
Reduce Body Fat
To reduce body fat, endurance athletes need to eat a diet lower in carbs and higher in protein and unsaturated fats. Doing so might sound like it would be counterproductive to improving performance, but it’s not.
By reducing carbs and increasing protein and unsaturated fats, athletes can better control their body weight while maintaining or improving their performance.
Build Muscle
Endurance athletes looking to build muscle mass should increase their daily intake of protein which doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to eat more carbs and fats, but rather just more protein.
By eating more protein while still obtaining enough energy for exercise by changing the types of carbs, you’re eating while keeping calories steady.
Meet Training Goals
Understanding each one’s function in the body helps endurance athletes choose the right type and amount of macros for their performance needs.
Meeting macro requirements also means that endurance athletes should be tracking what they eat to make sure that they’re eating the right amounts based on their goals.
Longevity
One of the most critical reasons endurance athletes should be counting macros is for their health. A balanced diet rich in carbs, protein, and fat will help an athlete maintain or even lose weight while still exercising, which means better health overall. Macros are essential for endurance athletes because they can participate in their sport for longer.
Endurance athletes are at risk for low-energy days when they’re not eating enough carbs, high-energy days when they eat too many carbs, and muscle fatigue if they don’t eat enough protein. Tracking macros helps endurance athletes avoid these problems by adjusting their diet based on what’s needed for their goals.
Endurance athletes should be counting macros for various reasons, including increasing performance, reducing body fat, building muscle mass, and meeting training goals.
Counting macros is a great way to ensure that you’re getting the right mix of nutrients for your endurance goals. It can be tricky to figure out on your own, which is why many athletes choose to work with a nutritionist who can help them develop a customized diet plan.
