The Importance of Macro + Micronutrients🥑🍗

*One of my wonderful clients that I train weekly requested a blog about macro and micronutrients to have a better understanding of what they are. I appreciate her hunger for knowledge and progress so here it is! If you have anything in mind that you'd like me to write about, message me!

The difference between micronutrients and macronutrients and their importance in the body at rest and during exercise:

Macronutrients and micronutrients together make up a healthy, balanced diet. There are three main macronutrients that make up the foods we eat - carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. There are many micronutrients that lie within the foods we eat, such as iron, vitamin d, vitamin c, iodine, zinc, etc. The difference is that macronutrients are consumed in larger quantities feeding the body its major energy sources and daily functionality, while micronutrients are consumed in smaller quantities through vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, etc. creating better overall health and disease prevention. 

Both macro and micronutrients play multiple roles in the body. Some of macronutrients’ responsibilities include building and repairing tissues, protection of body organs and insulation, maintaining body temperature, energy storage etc. Micronutrient responsibilities include aiding in the metabolism process, synthesis of enzymes/hormones and other substances needed for developmental growth, preventing diseases, etc. 

Without micronutrients, and especially macronutrients, the body would not function during rest, let alone at all during attempts at exercise. The ultimate goal is to maintain energy balance. Micronutrients are critical to our overall health, however they do not directly transfer energy. Vitamins and minerals still play an important role in the body’s metabolism which is necessary for proper energy transfer. Electrolytes are also significant bringing muscle contraction, fluid balance, and nerve impulse regulation. 

There are many parts of our body that take energy even when we are not exercising, for example, the brain and cognitive functioning, reproductive system, metabolic functions etc. That is why the body is constantly in need of energy.  The human body needs rest to restore itself, but in terms of our system’s biological functioning -- respiration, brain activity, nervous system, and metabolism -- we are never truly “at rest.”

Amino acids are molecules that combine together to form proteins. There are 20 amino acids within the body necessary to build and repair our muscle tissues post-exercise. Our body provides us with 11, while the other 9 are taken in through the foods we eat. Fat helps to build body tissues and cells and absorption of vitamins etc. Any macronutrient that is not needed or utilized for energy transfer gets stored in the body as fat. It can eventually get broken down and used as energy. When we exercise we are damaging body tissue, creating a need for them to be repaired and replenished. When athletes or regular exercisers do not eat enough, they won’t recover effectively, so finding that balance is crucial. Carbohydrates are the body’s main energy source. Simple carbohydrates are the fastest acting, metabolized the quickest, and are the most immediate source of energy. Complex carbohydrates take much more time to break down and include fiber, which our body does not digest in its usual manner. In another blog I will discuss the energy pathways and which sources break down most effectively for various exercises.

Overall, macronutrients and micronutrients both play multiple and major roles within the body and work together to create a healthy energy balance. It’s important to stay active -- and just as important to make sure the body is getting proper intake of macro and micronutrients in order to continue functioning properly both at rest and during various exercise bouts.