Macronutrients Explained: Protein, Carbs and Fat

0 to Elite course · Lesson 33 of 100 · Level 2: Beginner Training & Nutrition

In the last lesson you learned what calories are. Now we break them down into the three macronutrients, or macros: protein, carbohydrate and fat. Each one has a different job, and getting a sensible balance makes training, recovery and fat loss much easier.

What are macronutrients?

“Macro” means large. Macronutrients are the nutrients you eat in large amounts, measured in grams, and they supply your calories. There are three:

• Protein: about 4 kcal per gram.
• Carbohydrate: about 4 kcal per gram.
• Fat: about 9 kcal per gram.

Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients. You need them in tiny amounts and they contain no calories. We cover them in lesson 38.

In lesson 32 you learned that total calories decide whether you gain or lose weight. Macros decide what that weight is made of, how well you recover and how full you feel.

Protein: the building material

Protein provides the building blocks your body uses to repair and grow muscle after training. It is also the most filling macro, which helps a lot when you are trying to lose fat. Good sources include chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yoghurt, lean beef, tofu, beans and lentils.

For people who lift, protein is the macro to set first. You will learn exactly how much and from where in lesson 34: protein for beginners.

Carbohydrate: your training fuel

Carbs are your body’s preferred fuel for hard exercise. They are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen, which powers your sets and helps you train with good quality. Good sources include oats, potatoes, rice, wholemeal bread and pasta, fruit and vegetables. Carbs also bring most of your fibre.

Carbs have a bad reputation they do not deserve. Lesson 35 looks at whether carbs are bad for you and which types to favour.

Fat: hormones and health

Dietary fat helps your body make hormones, absorb certain vitamins and keep cells healthy. It is calorie-dense, so portions add up fast: a tablespoon of oil or a handful of nuts carries a lot of energy. Good sources include olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado and oily fish such as salmon and mackerel. Lesson 36 covers fats in detail.

A simple way to set your macros

You do not need a perfect formula. Use this order:

1. Set your calories using the free calorie and macro calculator and the process from lesson 32.
2. Set protein first. Research on lifters commonly points to around 1.6g per kg of bodyweight a day as a level where most people get the benefit.
3. Include a sensible amount of fat. Do not cut it to near zero. A moderate amount from the healthy sources above is enough.
4. Fill the rest with carbs, mostly from whole, high-fibre foods, with more around your training if that suits you.

Here is how the maths works. A 70kg person eating 112g of protein gets about 448 kcal from it (112 x 4). Fat and carbs then share the remaining calories.

If you do not want to count grams at all, use the plate method from lesson 39: a palm of protein, a fist of carbs, a thumb of fat and plenty of vegetables at each meal. It gets most beginners most of the way there.

Whichever method you choose, give it two to three weeks before judging it. Your weight trend, your energy in training and how hungry you feel between meals will tell you whether the balance is right. Adjust one thing at a time, so you know what made the difference.

Coach’s tip: hit your calories and protein consistently before worrying about the exact split of carbs and fat. Those two numbers make the biggest difference. If you’d like someone to set this up around your week, that is what our nutrition coaching does.

Safety: if you have kidney disease, diabetes or another medical condition, or you are pregnant, check with your GP or a registered dietitian before changing your protein, carb or fat intake.

Your action steps

1. Look at the three days of food you logged in lesson 32 and work out roughly how many grams of protein, carbs and fat you ate.
2. Calculate a protein target of about 1.6g per kg of your bodyweight.
3. List three protein sources, three carb sources and three fat sources you actually enjoy.
4. Build tomorrow’s meals so each one includes a protein, a carb, a fat and some vegetables.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 3 macronutrients?

The three macronutrients are protein, carbohydrate and fat. Protein and carbs provide about 4 kcal per gram and fat about 9 kcal per gram.

Do I need to count macros to lose weight?

No. Calories decide weight loss, and hitting a protein target helps keep muscle. Many people do well with a simple plate method instead of counting every gram.

Which macronutrient is most important for building muscle?

Protein is the most important for building and repairing muscle, alongside strength training and enough total calories. Carbs help fuel hard sessions and fat supports hormones, so you need all three.

Keep going

Previous: Lesson 32: Calories Explained Simply: The Beginner’s Guide

Next: Lesson 34: Protein for Beginners: How Much and From Where

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Want Artem to coach you through it? SYP Fitness is a private 1-to-1 personal training studio at 2-4 Navigator Square, Archway, London N19 3UB. Rated 5.0 from 106 Google reviews. Book a free consultation or WhatsApp Artem on 07301 512215.