There are two general classes of nutrients macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients. Macro-nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Micro-nutrients include vitamins, minerals and other assorted compounds. There is another very important category of nutrients that you must remember, they are referred to as an "essential nutrient." As the name refers, the definition of an essential nutrient is anything that the body cannot synthesize itself and therefore must be obtained from the diet.
The seven principal types of nutrients are:
1. PROTEIN, largely composes muscles, organs, antibodies and all enzymes.
2. CARBOHYDRATES, the body’s principal source of energy
a. Simple Carbohydrates - all sugars including dextrose, maltose, lactose,
table sugars (sucrose)
b. Complex Carbohydrates - primarily starches. Some examples are bread,
rice, pasta beans, fruits, vegetables and potatoes
3. VITAMINS, helps to regulate many bodily functions, including the digestive and nervous
system
4. MINERALS, essential for numerous processes from bone formation to heart functions;
they become part of the body.
5. FATS, Numerous body functions from warmth to maintaining healthy skin.
6. FIBER, aids in the elimination of body waste and reduces the risk of contracting certain
diseases; the indigestible part of the carbohydrate.
7. WATER, basis for all body fluids, cell processes and organ functions.
WHAT ARE MACRONUTRIENTS?
Macronutrients are class of nutrients that provide calories or energy. Nutrients are substances needed for growth, metabolism, and for other body functions. They are needed in large quantities, hence Macro - Large Quantity.
There are essentially three types of macro nutrients.
- Protein- Protein is the most important nutrient needed for muscle building. Muscle is essentiallly protein. If you are running short on protein, you will have a hard time waiting for resuts from your training. Protein is essential for muscle building. Read more about Protein
- Carbohydrates- Carbohydrates give you the energy for your daily activities and your workouts. Carbohydrats are needed on a consistent basis to feed the brain with glucose, its primary energy source. It is the fuel used by every cell in your body. Read more about Carbohydrates
- Fat- Fat is equally important for you body. It acts as structural components for all cell membranes,as well as supply necessary chemical substrates for hormone production. It protects vital organs. Dietary fat carries fat-soluble vitamins - vitamins A, D, E and K, from your food into your body. Read more about Fat
While each of these macronutrients provides calories, the amount of calories that each macronutrient provides varies.
Carbohydrate provides 4 calories per gram.
Protein provides 4 calories per gram.
Fat provides 9 calories per gram.
Now lets understand this with an example:
Suppose you are buying a product whose Nutrition facts label reads 20 grams of cabohydrates, 0 grams of fat and 5 grams of protein per serving. To calculate how much calories will you get per serving, you need to do following simple calculation.
Total Calorie = Grams Of Carbohydrate * 4 + Grams Of Protein * 4 +Grams Of Fat * 9
In this case:
Total Calorie = 20 * 4 + 5 * 4 +0 * 9
Total Calorie = 100 Calorie per serving.
There is one more substance that provides calories - Alcohol. Alcohol provides seven calories per gram. Alcohol, however is not a macro-nutrient and we don't need it for survival. Infact if you are serious about bodybuilding then Alcohol is one of those substance that you should avoid.
Understanding the basics of macronutrients is important as a fundamental knowledge of what we eat everyday adds to your ability of taking proper nutrition decission. Properly understanding the above given calorie calculation equation you will be able to make much better choice of food as per your calorie requirements. Also, you will be able to judge how to meet your calorie requirements while maintaining the proper ratio of nutrients and avoiding fat.
