Nutrient Intakes Made Simple

Introduction

Macronutrients are the essential dietary elements that the body requires for optimal nutrition and health. These are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. These are the nutrients that are required by the body in much larger amounts, as opposed to micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, that are required by the body in much smaller amounts. There is no such thing as a ‘bad macronutrient’. Each plays a vital role in maintaining optimal health. Whether a person is partaking in a regular training programme or not, or even training for a competitive event, it is vitally important that they consume the correct amount of each to either fuel their training properly for good performance, or daily schedule for a good quality of life.

The purpose here isn’t to go into what these macronutrients are, or rather, what they are made up from and how they work, but to instead allow you to see how much your body should be taking in on a daily basis. There is no ‘one size fits all’ with macronutrients. There are many ways in which calories, macronutrients and micronutrients can be manipulated to yield positive results and good performance in various sports. The aim here isn’t to cover sport specific nutrition, but rather give a general overview to nutrient intakes alongside general training. Intakes will always vary based on a person’s biological make up, frequency and intensity of exercise and other dietary requirements.

If you are currently a client with Jake Garner Fitness, you will have had your macronutrient split (the amount of each macronutrient contained in your overall daily diet) calculated for you as part of your overall programme. If you are not currently training with Jake Garner Fitness, this macronutrients intake guide will help you to calculate how much of each macronutrient you should have in your daily nutritional programme given your own training circumstances. If you are wanting to learn more about the content and role of macronutrients within the body in greater detail, please refer to the Jake Garner Fitness Basic Nutritional Advice PDF.

Macronutrient Intake: Carbohydrate

Your daily intake of carbohydrate should range from 3-7 grams per kilogram of body weight. If you are training regularly during the week in activity that is moderate and lasting up to 1 hour, the minimum carbohydrate requirement should be 3 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. If your activity level exceeds this, then you will need to be consuming more. Top level athletes might consume up to 7 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. As a basis for fuelling your training, make sure you get this right first on a daily basis before thinking about what you might need specifically pre workout and during workout.

Workout and Event Based Carbohydrate Intake

For exercise, consume between 1 and 4 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight depending on the exercise intensity and duration, between 1 to 4 hours before exercise. To get this right will take a little bit of trial and error as everyone’s digestive system is different. It is also worth noting how energised you felt during your workout. If you felt low on energy, perhaps try upping the grammage for the next workout. Also, use a bit of common sense here. If you are doing a shorter workout, 20-30 minutes, you won’t need a larger amount of carbohydrates in the body. If you are planning on doing a workout that is an hour or more in length, then you will need to consume a larger amount.

As a general rule of thumb, and to aid with digestion and reduced risk of stomach discomfort during exercise, the larger the meal is, the more distanced your meal should be from the workout. Try and consume complex carbohydrates, or rather, starchy carbohydrates, as they allow for a gradual release of sugar for glucose conversion over a longer period of time. This includes brown variants, vegetables and potatoes. Avoid simple carbohydrates like confectionary as they won’t serve you as well in the long term.

Here are two examples of carbohydrate intake pre workout:

Short 20-minute run – I would want to put between 1-2 grams of carbohydrates in per kilogram of bodyweight around 1.5-2 hours before the workout. My bodyweight is 90kg, so I would want to make sure I have eaten around 90-120g of complex carbohydrates pre workout.

Long 60-minute + run - I would want to put between 2-4 grams of carbohydrates in per kg of bodyweight around 2-4 hours before the workout. My bodyweight is 90kg, so I would want to make sure I have eaten around 120- 240g of complex carbohydrates pre workout. I would advise this before long distance events.

When undertaking exercise that lasts less than 45 minutes, the science suggests that there is no advantage to be gained by consuming additional carbohydrates. For intense exercise lasting between 45 and 75 minutes, smaller amounts of carbohydrates are likely to be beneficial, such as a single sweet or swilling a sports drink in the mouth.

For exercise lasting longer than about 1 hour, consuming between 30-60g of carbohydrate will help to maintain your blood glucose level, spare muscle glycogen stores, delay fatigue and increase your endurance. The amount needed (30-60g) will depend on the intensity (walk or run for example) and the duration of the exercise. Body size is not related to this. Ultimately, the longer and more intense your workout or event, the greater the need for carbohydrate intake. Recent research has suggested that this number could reach as high as 90g in exercise lasting more than 3 hours.

During the workout or event, use simple carbohydrates for the quick release of glucose into the bloodstream for energy. A mixture of glucose, fructose and sucrose is good for carbohydrate uptake and oxidation during exercise. Depending on your tastes, you should choose high GI carbohydrates, such as sports drinks, energy gels, energy bars, bananas, fruit bars, cereal and breakfast bars.

Post workout or event, the science suggests consuming between 1-1.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight within a half an hour window, and then continue to consume carbohydrates at regular 2-hour intervals for up to 6 hours. For example, I weigh 90kg, so I would consume 90 x 1.5 = 135 grams of carbohydrates within 30 minutes of my endurance workout. Post strength workout, I would consume less appropriately at around 90 x 1 = 90 grams. If you are planning to train again within 8 hours, refuelling would need to start as soon as possible after exercise. Moderate to high GI carbohydrates tend to promote a faster recovery during this period. For recovery periods exceeding 24 hours, the type of carbohydrate and the timing of ingestion is less important, though nutrient-dense sources should still be a priority.

Macronutrient Intake: Protein

The amount of protein needed by a person will vary based on that person's lifestyle and habits. Highest needs people include strength athletes, endurance athletes doing intense exercise, dieters consuming low energy intakes and untrained people at the start of an exercise programme. If you fall into one of these categories, you need to take your protein intake seriously. Increased protein consumption may also be necessary during childhood, pregnancy and lactation. Some disease states might mean that a higher protein intake is required.

Protein requirements will be higher for those living an active lifestyle than those in a sedentary job. As an absolute minimum, irrespective of a person’s line of work, an amount of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight should be taken into the body daily. This is an absolute minimum for everyone. For those that are taking part in regular strength training or other forms of training that put a larger demand on the muscles for performance, the recommended amount of protein intake would be between 1.2-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight daily, including rest days.

Not only is the amount of protein a person gets in their daily diet important, but to maximise its effects, the timing of protein intake can maximise muscle growth and repair. If given a total amount of protein, it is best to spread it out throughout the day rather than consuming it all in a few sittings. The recommended intake of protein for each meal is 25-30 grams. You should also aim to consume this amount after exercise. Some studies suggest that eating carbohydrate and protein together immediately after exercise can enhance recovery and promote muscle protein synthesis (the building of muscle).

For example, on a high protein diet, you may be asked to consume 150 grams, or more, of protein every day. A bad strategy for this would be to consume 3 lots of 50 grams at the same time. Instead, break it down by initially allocating 30 grams to each main meal during the day. 30g with breakfast, 30g with lunch and 30g with dinner. This already means you will hit 90g from your main meals. This leaves 60g to consume. This can be broken down into 2 additional intakes of 30g. This could be done through a protein shake, a high protein-based snack, or even having 5 smaller meals throughout the day instead of 3 large ones. To maximise your protein intake, ideally allow 2.5-3 hours between intakes.

Aim for high quality proteins and those that can be fast absorbed. Whey protein is a great example of this. There are also vegetarian and vegan based versions of whey protein that allow for fast absorption.

When we talk about quality protein, we are really referring to its amino acid content. For muscle growth, leucine, isoleucine and valine are 3 important essential amino acids that contribute to maximal muscle repair and growth. These can be found in meat, poultry, eggs and dairy. Vegans and vegetarians will have to mix various plant and grain sources together to achieve an acceptable intake of these proteins.

The rate of digestion is important when considering muscle protein synthesis (MPS). Whey is a fast-digesting protein. Plant protein has a medium digestion rate and casein has a slow sustained digestion rate.

Just because you eat more protein doesn’t mean that you will build more muscle mass. It is the stimulation of muscle growth through exercise, the actual process of regular strength and resistance work, that leads to muscle growth, not the consumption of more protein. If your nutritional programme is based around body fat reduction, then it is likely you will be on a high protein diet. This is to ensure that you get the best help to maintain your lean muscle mass as you lose body fat. In this instance, it is super important to stay on top of your protein. If you are in a calorie deficit and not consuming enough protein, or doing fasted training in a calorie deficit, your body will turn to its protein stores (i.e. muscle) for energy.

Eating an excess of protein isn’t harmful. The excess is simply broken down into urea and excreted by the body. Excess protein may also be used for fuel or stored as fat if you are exceeding your calorie intake level (eating in a calorie surplus).

We can think about the intake of protein in a similar way to the intake of calories. You need a positive balance of protein to maintain or gain lean muscle mass. Muscle protein synthesis, or MPS for short, is the synthesis of new muscle. Muscle protein breakdown, or MPB, is the process that breaks down muscle.

The balance of MPS and MPB is the Net Protein Turnover which determines if muscle is gained or lost. This process is constantly occurring throughout the day. A negative protein balance, which would mean more MPB than MPS happening in the body would mean a reduction in muscle mass. This can happen during body fat reduction programmes, or regular strength programmes that require a maintenance number of calories, if the person is not committing to eating their protein intake correctly. A positive muscle protein balance on the other hand, where MPS is greater than the MPB, will result in a muscle mass gain.

Here is my recommendation for protein intakes based on your physical activity level. Just make sure that you are within your calorie allowance when consuming high levels of protein, as consistently being in a calorie surplus over maintenance could lead to an increase in body fat over time.

• Sedentary Individuals: 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight

• Endurance Athletes/Trainees: 1.2-1.7 grams per kilogram of bodyweight

• Strength Athletes/Trainees: 1.7-2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight

For example, I weigh 90kg. I strength train 4 days a week and walk for at least 30 minutes a day. I also have an active job as a personal trainer. I would fall into the category of strength athlete and consume the higher echelon of protein in grams, 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. Therefore, 90 x 2.2 = 198 grams of protein to be consumed a day. This number may be even higher for some depending on their training programme and might increase up to 2.5 grams per kilogram of bodyweight.

When thinking about how we get protein from our diet, remember these 4 key pointers for optimal MPS within the body:

• Quality of the protein

• Dose of protein

• Timing of protein intake around exercise

• Frequency of protein intake throughout the day

Macronutrient Intake: Fat

To maintain optimal health, men are recommended not to go below 5% body fat and women below 10% body fat. For optimal health, men should aim to be between 13-18% body fat and women 18-25% body fat. A body fat percentage that is below the minimal levels can be associated with hormonal imbalances in both sexes, infertility, reduced bone density and an increased risk of osteoporosis in women. Remember, fat doesn’t inherently make us fat. Fat gain is a result of an accumulation of different factors within the diet. Low fat diets can lead to being deficient in essential fats such as omega 3 and 6 and fat-soluble vitamins.

Those looking to optimise their health for good sport and gym performance and a good quality of life, should aim for the following body fat percentages: Men%/Women%: Essential Body Fat 5/10, Athletic Level 6-13/14-20, Fitness 14-17/21-24, Average 18-24/25-31, Obese 25+/32+

Whether you like the idea of eating fats or not (as we have certainly been conditioned to think they are bad, which they are certainly not), you need them for good health. The body needs the essential fats alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). The body also needs a good amount eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids make up the structure of cell membranes, nerve sheaths, cushion your organs, make up brain tissue and bone marrow. Fat in food also provides fat-soluble vitamins, A, D and E and is an important source of energy to fuel exercise.

When it comes to fat intake, the recommended amount for both athletes and active people is around 20-35% of the total daily calorie intake. General populations should aim not to exceed 30-35% of their daily intake from fats. Again, this will differ for people on specific nutritional programmes that aim to achieve different goals, such as muscle gain, body fat reduction or sports performance. No more than 11% of your daily calories should be from saturated fats, and trans fats (those that have been chemically altered to make processed foods) should be avoided altogether. This is for all types of people, regardless of their training programme.

Give special attention to the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. Quite often, processed foods will advertise this on their product, but the amount of omega-3 in the product itself will be very minimal and have no real effect. Omega 3 promotes a healthy heart, improves the nervous system, reduces inflammation, thins the blood, reduces insulin resistance and helps with other mental complications, not just the physical (depression, attention deficit etc).

You should aim to get your fats in the form of healthy fats from sources such as mackerel, salmon, tuna, nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil.

When working out your intake of macronutrients, remember, the total sum must fall into your daily calorie allowance. As a general rule of thumb, work out your protein first, then your carbohydrates, then make up the rest with healthy fats.

Calculating Calories

Calculating the calories found in your macronutrients is really easy:

• 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories

• 1 gram of protein = 4 calories

• 1 gram of fat = 9 calories (this is why people think it can make you fat. Just be aware of calories if you are eating in a deficit. This is another reason to prioritise protein first and then make sure you are correctly fuelled with carbohydrates)

• 1 gram alcohol = 7 calories (you must include this in your daily intake)

Simply times your total grammage of any given macronutrient by the number of calories found in a gram of that specific macronutrient. For example, we know that I need 198g of protein a day. Therefore, 198 x 4 (the calories per gram of protein) = 792 calories from protein per day.

Water Intake

Making sure your body intakes the right amount of water and stays hydrated is also key to performance. That is why it has been included here alongside macronutrient intakes. Ultimately, you want to avoid dehydration during exercise and make sure you are properly hydrated before training or competition. Dehydration can result in reduced endurance, reduced strength, lowered blood volume, decrease in oxygen and organ related complications. Fluid intake should be matched to fluid losses. This can be achieved by weighing pre and post workout, or during a competition. Dehydration should be limited to no more than 2% of overall body weight loss.

In general, healthy men should be consuming 3.5-4 litres a day and healthy women 2.5-3 litres a day. If you struggle with this, buy a water bottle that has the measurements on the side to make sure you are staying on top of your intake.

On the other hand, it is possible to over-hydrate before exercise, especially when you are planning on taking part in an event that lasts more than 4 hours. Too much water in the body can dilute the blood which will mean sodium levels will fall. As a general rule, drink when you feel thirsty and only to the point you are maintaining weight. If you are gaining weight, you are drinking too much and will run the risk of over-hydration.

Sports drinks that contain sodium can be advantageous for people who sweat a lot, or during exercise that lasts between 1-2 hours. A sports drink’s sodium content will promote water retention and prevent excessive sodium loss. Post exercise, sodium and water levels need to be replaced to establish normal levels of hydration. This can be achieved through normal eating and drinking, unless there is a more urgent need for recovery. For rapid recovery or if dehydrated, it is recommended that you drink between 450-700ml of fluid for every 0.5 kilogram of bodyweight lost during the exercise.

For example, if I had an intense rowing session that lasted 90 minutes and weighed 89 kilograms afterwards, I will have lost 1 kilogram of bodyweight. I would be considered dehydrated. Therefore, I would consume around 1200 ml of fluid to aid in the rehydration process.

Micronutrient Intakes

When a person commits to a regular training programme, there is an increase in the requirement for several vitamins and minerals. When a person isn’t partaking in a balanced diet or consistently adhering to their nutritional programming, supplementation may be required. If a healthy and balanced diet is maintained, then most people should be able to achieve the right amounts of micronutrients from their food. This may differ if a person is adhering to a restrictive diet that means they can’t eat specific food groups.

People undergoing a training programme that means they are training several times throughout the week need to be specifically aware of a potential additional need for calcium, vitamin D and iron. It is common to see lower intakes in female athletes and trainees. The role of vitamin D helps to promote good muscle structure and function. Little expose to sunlight may need vitamin D supplementation in their diets, especially during autumn and winter months. Some supplements can have performance benefits, specifically the two most well researched, caffeine and creatine.

Be hyper aware of taking any supplements. Here are a few tips to make sure you are taking the right supplements:

• Initially, always try and get your vitamins and minerals using a ‘food first’ approach.

• Make sure you are using a reputable brand that meets standards and regulations. Avoid ordering from the internet and use reputable stores to buy from (Holland & Barratt or your local pharmacy for example).

• Make sure you check the ingredient list to avoid any unnecessary ingredients, such as added sugars or any allergies.

• Make sure there is enough of the active ingredient (vitamin D for example) to meet daily recommended amounts and that you are not just being ripped off.

• Make sure that if you are competing in any drug tested sports, that the supplements don’t contain any substances that are on the banned list for your sport.

• Always ask for advice before making a purchase or taking supplements.

In the same way you can’t out-train a bad diet, you can’t out-supplement one either. Do not make supplements a substitute for a poor or lazy diet. You should always consult a doctor if you think you may have a vitamin deficiency or symptoms that suggest one before committing to taking regular supplementation.

You may benefit from supplementation if you fall into one of the following categories:

• Consume a diet consisting of less than 1500 calories a day

• Are pregnant (benefit from taking additional folic acid)

• Consume regular fast food

• Vegan or vegetarian (benefit from taking B vitamins)

• Anaemic (benefit from iron supplementation)

• Heavy smoker or drinker

• Food allergy or intolerance

If you would like to learn more about each vitamin and mineral and how it benefits the body, look out for my upcoming article on the specifics of vitamins and minerals.