Many of us have heard the saying IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) and we have been bombarded with Instagram posts showing all the food that people consume just because it fits into their macros for the day. But do we really know why the macro split matters? Why is it that they are divided into protein, carbs and fats and why does it matter how much of each you get?
There are 3 main reasons why your macros split matters:
- Muscle Retention – if we work hard at trying to put on beautiful lean muscle mass, the last thing we want to do is lose that right? Anytime we are in a calorie deficit for the purposes of losing body fat, we are also at risk to lose some lean muscle mass because we are consuming less energy than our bodies need to sustain ourselves. There’s a chance that our bodies will steal from our lean muscle mass as fuel. That’s why it’s so important to ensure protein in increased in a calorie deficit because if it’s too low, our bodies could start using incoming protein as an energy source which means there won’t be enough left over to support our lean muscle mass. Boo.
- Energy Level – our macros split will absolutely influence our energy levels. If we’re not getting enough carbohydrates, we may find we will struggle in our performance in the gym. Our workouts will suffer and our strength will go down. We don’t want that. Carbs are essential for an intense workout, and the more intense workouts we do, the more carbs we’ll need. Simple enough right?
- Health Promotion – the third reason to consider our macros split and determine what our individual ration should be is for health consideration benefits. For example, getting enough dietary fiber is critical for stabilizing your blood glucose levels, which is what keeps our hunger in check. It also helps to maintain regular bowel movements. Another example, if we cut fats too low, our hormone levels can suffer, wreaking havoc on our appetite and spin i t out of control!
There is no perfect macros split for everyone but rather there is a perfect macros split for you. Some people tend to run better off of dietary fats as a fuel source, and some people tend to run better off of carbs as a fuel source. Learn your body and how the different macros impact it and then use that info to create your own perfect macros split.
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Lori