Sport Specific Macronutrient Breakdown

A common question I get asked by customers/clients is about how much protein, fat, and carbs they are supposed to be intaking on a daily basis. Sometimes that question can be a little complicated to answer but for the most part there are formulas and ratios to go by for sport specific training. In this post I will break down the different sports and what the "normal" ratios are for macronutrient intake.

Each one of these percentages are for the athlete DURING their respective sport! The offseason macronutrients are a little different for each.

Nutritional Ratios of Selected Performance Eating Plans
Performance Nutrition Plan	Rationale
15% Fat 30% Protein 55% Carbohydrates	Anaerobic – Immediate Energy Sports. For individuals in sports where explosive strength and power is required, immediately available ATP and CP, anaerobic energy is used. Large muscles comprised of mostly fast twitch muscle fibers. High protein is required to maintain positive nitrogen balance and repair fragile fast twitch muscle fibers. Low fat, high carbohydrate intake is suggested, because these athletes utilize mostly muscle glycogen to replenish ATP and CP stores. Sports: Baseball, Boxing, Football, Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Swimming (Power/Sprint Events), Track and Field (Power/ Sprint Events) , Wrestling
20% Fat 25% Protein 55% Carbohydrates	Anaerobic Glycolytic Sports. For individuals in sports where explosive strength and power is required on a sustained, or highly repetitive basis. Muscle glycogen is a primary source of energy for these athletes. High protein is required to maintain positive nitrogen balance and repair fast twitch muscle fibers. Sports: Cycling-Sprint/Mid-Dist, Dancing (Power), Fitness (Power Exercisers), Golf, Hockey, Racket Sports, Rock Climbing, Soccer (Power Positions), Swimming (Mid-Distance Events), Track and Field (Mid-Distance Events), Volleyball
20% Fat 20% Protein 60% Carbohydrates	Anaerobic Glycolytic – Oxidative Glycolytic Sports. For individuals in sports where the aerobic pathway is the predominate energy source, but glycolysis is also relied upon. Fatty acids and muscle glycogen therefore become important energy sources. Moderate protein intake is required to maintain positive nitrogen fibers. This is a good daily nutrient intake for cross-training sports, or multi-energetic sports, as well for general health and fitness. Sports: Cycling - Long Dist, Dancing (stamina), Fitness (Mid-Distance Exercisers), Soccer (Mid-Distance Positions), Swimming (Long-Distance Events)
25% Fat 15% Protein 60% Carbohydrates	Oxidative Sports. For individuals in sports where oxidative endurance is required for long distance events. Slow twitch muscle fibers predominate. High carbohydrate is required to maintain glycogen stores. Endurance athletes utilize high amount of fatty acids for energy, therefore moderate dietary fat intake is warranted. Protein intake is lowest for this group of athletes. Sports: Fitness (Endurance Exercisers), Track and Field (Long Distance Events), Triathlon

The ratios listed above are great starting points for YOU to determine what works. Remember that EVERYONE is different and these exact ratios may not work with your performance standards. It is up to YOU to listen to your bodies signals and responses to training. Adjust according to how you are feeling. For example, someone looking to lose weight: This person has hit a plateau in losing a few lbs so now they believe they need to change everything, not the case at all! Just adjust your carbohydrates by 10g for a week and see where that takes you.

Just remember to not out think yourself when it comes to your food, that is when you get frustrated and you fall back into bad habits! If you have any questions just leave a comment! Thanks for reading!!!