Body composition testing can determine your LBM, and athletes are advised to take in about 1 gram of dietary protein for each pound of lean mass. Strength athletes may need a bit more — up to 2 grams per pound of lean mass. This ensures that they have readily available carbohydrate stores in the muscle, liver, and bloodstream.

Sports dietitians prefer to calculate carbohydrate needs according to bodyweight rather than a percentage of calories because it gives the athlete a specific intake goal:. Dietary fats supply the body with essential fatty acids. Since carbohydrate and protein intakes are more specific, once those intake targets are met, fat intake tends to naturally fall within the recommended range.

And, like the general population, athletes are encouraged to select mostly unsaturated fats from foods like nuts, seeds, avocados, fatty fish, and oils such as seed oils like canola, safflower, or sunflower and olive oil.

For example, after jogging for more than 20 minutes at a moderate pace, fat becomes increasingly more important than carbohydrates for sustaining activity. Keeping your macros in the right balance is critical for good performance, and athletes would be wise to avoid dietary trends that upset this balance.

Susan Bowerman is the senior director of Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training at Herbalife. She also serves as the Vice Chair of the Dietetic Advisory Board DAB.

As a registered dietitian, she educates distributors about our global nutrition philosophy and is responsible for developing nutrition education and training materials.

Bowerman earned a B. Knowing the proper ratios of macronutrients for your diet is crucial to a successful healthy meal plan. Before training, racing, or any type of exercise, we need carbs for energy and to fuel our muscles.

Protein is difficult to digest during exercise and can lead to gastrointestinal upset, which can negatively impact your performance.

Focus on carbs when you need them: before and during exercise. These energy bites are easy to carry and provide all the nutrients you need to keep your engine burning strong. Prep this recipe the night before, store it in the fridge, and enjoy hours before strength training.

As discussed in great length in previous articles, carbohydrates are the primary source of energy during high intensity activity by providing the fuel that your muscles need to sustain a fast pace.

Try to get most of your carbohydrates from whole grains for energy levels and overall health. Choosing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains over refined products provides optimal fuel for the muscles and provide beneficial nutrients like fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and can add to your daily protein intake.

In short, carbs are your friends! Maintenance easy for this body type, especially with a close eye on protein. Has low carb tolerance so should be very careful to limit carbs if the goal is weight loss or maintenance.

Need a close eye on macros is very important for this body type. Aim to eat most of your carbs in the morning. Be aware of sugar content in fruit and moderate portions of fruit. No macro mix can save you if you eat way too many calories or way too few. These ratios are a starting range for most body-types and don't be afraid to experiment for better results.

Get to know your body! We believe in keeping you STRONGER FOR LONGER. We have worked hard to build an inclusive, connected community of people committed to living healthy today and for a lifetime.

Ultra-endurance athletes who engage in competitions that last for four hours or more may need about 11 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram or more. Dietary fats supply the body with essential fatty acids, serving as a valuable energy source during activity.

A cup of coffee or tea around 45—60 minutes before a workout allows the caffeine to reach its peak effectiveness and gives your exercise routine a welcome boost. A pre-workout supplement with nitric oxide precursors helps with healthy blood flow. Wider blood vessels support the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to working muscles during exercise, which then helps maintain your performance.

Stay hydrated and fuel your workouts with sports drinks containing a good amount of carbohydrates and electrolytes. Electrolytes can replace valuable nutrients lost due to sweating, like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. The combination of carbohydrates and electrolytes will also continuously supply your muscles with the glucose required to maintain your performance.

After a heavy workout, your body requires both protein and carbohydrates to refuel and rebuild. One way to think of nutrient density is to think of your calories as cash — and to buy as much nutrition as you can with the calories you have to spend.

Susan Bowerman is the senior director of Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training at Herbalife. She also serves as the Vice Chair of the Dietetic Advisory Board DAB. As a registered dietitian, she educates distributors about our global nutrition philosophy and is responsible for developing nutrition education and training materials.

Bowerman earned a B. in Biology with distinction from the University of Colorado and an M. in Food Science and Nutrition from Colorado State University. She is a fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and holds two board certifications as a specialist in Sports Dietetics and in Obesity and Weight Management.

When she is not busy teaching and writing, Susan enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and gardening. Her favorite Herbalife products include Simply Probiotic and Herbalife Formula 1 Healthy Meal Nutritional Shake Mix Banana Caramel.

com will be sunsetting on March 4. To learn more about our products, business opportunity and how we help people live their best lives, visit Herbalife. Susan Bowerman M. Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training. The right carbs per kg of body weight depends on your training volume.

btn, a. And still others promote different ratios. While they might disagree on the specifics, all of these experts agree that there exists some perfect balance of macronutrients that optimizes endurance-training performance. Guess what?

In other words, what matters is not the relative proportions of carbs, fat, and protein you eat but the basic quantity measured as total calories or grams. And since macronutrient needs vary depending on training volume, there is no single macronutrient ratio that could possibly meet the needs of every athlete.

So what are the right amounts of grams per kilogram of body weight?