Macronutrients: What They Are and Their Importance for Improving Athletic Performance

Macronutrients are the nutrients the body needs in large quantities because they provide energy (kilocalories) and fulfill essential structural and metabolic functions for life, growth, and physical performance. They are divided into carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Types of macronutrients:

• Carbohydrates: They are the body's main source of energy, especially during moderate and high-intensity activities.
• Proteins: They provide the amino acids necessary for tissue synthesis and repair, hormone production, and muscle maintenance.
• Fats: They participate in hormone production, the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and the maintenance of cellular health.

In active individuals, macronutrients are relevant because they directly influence the ability to train, recover, and adapt to physical stimuli. Macronutrients directly affect energy, recovery, and body composition because they determine the substrates available for exercise and training adaptation.

Since calisthenics is a strength sport, it requires a correct distribution of macronutrients. Carbohydrates allow for maintaining intensity in high-intensity sessions; proteins maintain muscle mass, improve strength, and facilitate recovery; and fats maintain hormonal health, which is key in these types of sports with high training loads.

What are macronutrients

Macronutrients are the nutrients the body needs in large quantities and that provide energy; whereas micronutrients are needed in small quantities but are essential for life. These include vitamins and minerals.

Types of macronutrients and their functions in the body

Proteins

Proteins have a structural function, forming muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other body tissues. Importance for athletes (repair, muscle growth):

In athletes, they are essential for muscle repair and growth, they improve recovery, and help prevent injuries. Between 1.6 – 2.2 g/kg/day of protein is recommended for active individuals performing strength sports like calisthenics.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of energy, especially during moderate to high-intensity exercise. Importance in intense training:

Glycogen loading consists of increasing carbohydrate consumption to fill muscle and liver stores, improving performance in long or very demanding sessions. Consuming carbohydrates before training provides energy and improves performance, while consuming them after training helps replenish glycogen and accelerates recovery.

Healthy fats

Fats play a key role in hormonal regulation, participating in the production of hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. They provide satiety, helping with appetite control, and provide sustained energy, especially during prolonged and low-to-moderate intensity efforts.

We can classify them as:

• Monounsaturated: Beneficial for cardiovascular health.
• Polyunsaturated: Essential for multiple body functions.
• Omega-3: With anti-inflammatory effects and support for muscular and cardiovascular health.

Why macronutrients are key for athletes

Macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) are fundamental because they provide the energy and nutrients necessary to adapt to training and improve athletic performance:

• Higher performance: They ensure sufficient energy to train with intensity and consistency.
• Better recovery: They favor muscle repair and the replenishment of energy stores.
• Prevents early fatigue: Adequate intake prevents early exhaustion and loss of performance.
• Optimizes muscle mass gain: They support protein synthesis and muscle growth.
• Improves body composition: They help maintain or increase muscle mass and reduce body fat in a healthy way.

Ideal macronutrient distribution according to your goal

For gaining muscle mass

To gain muscle mass, an energy surplus is required, with an increase in proteins for muscle growth and carbohydrates to sustain training and recovery. The recommended distribution is: 45–60% carbohydrates, 20–30% proteins, and 20–30% fats.

In calisthenics, an adequate energy volume is key because it allows for maintaining performance, tolerating high training volumes, and favoring muscle gain without compromising relative strength.

For losing fat

Fat loss requires a slight caloric deficit that allows for the reduction of adipose tissue without compromising performance. It is essential to maintain a high protein intake to preserve muscle mass and promote recovery. Healthy fats should be kept in the diet, as they help preserve hormonal regulation, satiety, and proper metabolic functioning.

For general performance or maintenance

For general performance or maintenance goals, a stable energy balance is sought, without a marked surplus or deficit, with a more flexible macronutrient distribution. Consistency in nutrition is key to sustaining performance, facilitating recovery, and maintaining good body composition over the long term.

How to calculate your macronutrients step by step

Calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure): add your basal metabolism + physical activity + thermic effect of food (10%) + NEAT (energy expended during the day excluding physical activity; between 5% - 20%) to find your maintenance calories.

Define based on your goal:

• Gain mass: 10–20% surplus
• Lose fat: 10–20% deficit
• Maintain: ≈ TDEE

Convert to macros using calories per gram:

• Proteins: 4 kcal/g
• Carbohydrates: 4 kcal/g
• Fats: 9 kcal/g

Calisthenics example (70 kg, TDEE 2,500 kcal, gaining mass):

• Total calories: 2,875 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 359 g
• Proteins: 180 g
• Fats: 80 g This ensures energy, recovery, and muscle gain.

Common mistakes when managing macronutrients

• Focusing solely on calories and forgetting the importance of the distribution of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
• Excessively reducing carbohydrates, especially in active people or those who perform strength training.
• Not reaching protein requirements, which compromises muscle recovery, preservation of lean mass, and training adaptation.
• Ignoring the individual context: schedules, rest, activity level, digestion...

Frequently asked questions about macronutrients and sports

How many macronutrients are there?

There are three main macronutrients:

1. Carbohydrates → quick energy
2. Proteins → muscle growth and repair
3. Fats → sustained energy and hormonal regulation Some also consider water and fiber, but they do not provide calories.

Should I eat before training?

Yes, a meal or snack with carbohydrates and proteins before training improves performance and reduces fatigue.

Are macros the same for men and women?

Not exactly. The macro proportion may be similar, but caloric needs usually differ due to:

• Body weight
• Muscle mass
• Activity level In general, the total amount is adjusted, but the distribution can be similar.

What happens if I don't hit my macros?

• Low protein → less muscle gain or maintenance, slower recovery.
• Low carbohydrates → lower energy, early fatigue.
• Low fats → hormonal alterations, lower satiety. Occasionally it doesn't matter, but chronically it can affect performance and body composition.

Does calisthenics burn many calories?

It depends on the type of training:

• Short strength sets → moderate expenditure.
• Intense circuits or high-resistance training → high expenditure. In general, it is efficient for maintaining strength, muscle mass, and burning calories if trained with adequate intensity and volume.

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