Welcome back to the Daily Dumbbell, where we would never go on strike and leave you without a mildly educational, mostly ridiculous newsletter in your inbox.

Today we’re unraveling the complexity of Macros and answering your burning questions (Although if your questions are still burning today, you should probably talk to your Dr.)

• What is a macro?

• Will carbs make me fat?

• Is butter a carb?

• What are trans fats and why does the Governor of Florida hate them so much?

Let’s dive in!

The Secret Life of Macros

What comes to mind when you hear the word macros? If you’re a numbers nerd, probably Excel and stress. If you’re a gym rat, probably food and stress. We can’t help the number junkies with Excel, but we can help you feel more in control with your diet.

Overview:

Macronutrients (Macros) are the calorie containing nutrients your body needs in large amounts to function optimally. As opposed to Micronutrients that do not contain calories (i.e. vitamins & minerals).

• Carbohydrates: 4 Calories per gram

• Fats: 9 Calories per gram

• Proteins: 4 Calories per gram

You don’t need to be a nutritional detective to decode food labels, the secret lies in multiplying the grams by their respective calorie counts to reveal the total calories.

Every macronutrient plays a critical part in keeping you healthy and thriving. But if all of them are vital, why does each one face scrutiny from specific groups? Let's dive into the delicious drama, beginning with the most hotly debated macro of them all:

Carbohydrates

What you need to know

No, they will not make you fat.

Carbohydrates are your body's primary (and preferred) source of energy. They're broken down into glucose in the body, which in turn fuels your muscles and brain.

There are two main types of carbs: simple and complex.

• Simple carbs, found in fruits and processed sugar, break down quickly and are turned into energy fast.

• Complex carbs, found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables, take longer to process and provide sustained energy.

The difference really comes down to fiber content. Candy for example, is just sugar. It digests and enters your bloodstream fast. Whereas, the sugars in fruits and vegetables are harder to access because they’re interlocked with all dat fiber.

Your body has to work a little harder to extract the sugar from the fiber, which in turn slows down digestion. This nifty trick helps you stay satisfied for more extended periods between meals.

Quick Tips: 

• If shedding some pounds is your goal, opt for complex carbs. They'll keep you full and content for longer.

• In need of a pre-workout energy boost? Simple carbs pack a fast-acting punch and are less likely to cause any tummy troubles.

Fats

What you need to know

Fats have had quite the rollercoaster ride in the world of nutrition. Depending on who you ask, they're either demonized or hailed as the ultimate answer to all your health woes.

Lately, the keto craze has catapulted fats into the limelight as the health and fitness world's newest darling.

As with most things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Fats are essential for your body's proper functioning, as they:

• Supply energy

• Support cell growth

• Aid in nutrient absorption

Though they pack more calories per gram compared to the other two macros, they're not inherently evil. Fats can keep you satisfied for longer periods, but use a little caution - it can be easy to overindulge.

There are several types of fats, including:

• Saturated: Solid at room temperature

• Unsaturated: Liquid at room temperature

• Trans fats: The most unfairly maligned fat sine Fats Navarro

Chemistry Corner: Picture fatty acids as long chains of carbon atoms bonding with hydrogens (and an acid). Fatty Acids are either “saturated” or “unsaturated” based on their chemical structure.

Saturated fatty acids are like the straight-laced conformists of the fat world – all of their carbon atoms are bonded to hydrogen atoms, (with no double bonds between carbons.) Meaning they’re completely "saturated" with hydrogen. This makes them solid at room temperature.

On the other hand, unsaturated fatty acids: the rule-breakers with one or more double bonds between their carbon atoms. They're not fully saturated with hydrogen atoms, so they've got a little "kink" in their chain. Unsaturated fat’s kink is being liquid at room temperature.

But why should we care about these chemical shenanigans? Well, it's the kink that makes unsaturated fats our ally in nutrition. No, not because they're more adventurous in bed – it's because the kink prevents them from packing tightly together. This means they're more fluid in our cell membranes, helping maintain flexibility and function, which is crucial for overall cell health.

So, cheers to the unsaturated fats for keeping things interesting and healthy!

The Big Fat Takeaway:

Focus on consuming healthy fats, like those found in avocados, nuts, and olive oil, while limiting saturated and avoiding trans fats*.

*We had some great jokes about how upset Desantis & Abbott were to find out Trans fats were already banned. But we’re running over on time.

Protein

What you need to know: 

Proteins are the tight-knit family at the heart of your body's high-stakes operation, working together to build your muscles, bones, and skin, and to get the crucial jobs done like repairing tissues and producing enzymes and hormones.

Just like in any Fast and Furious mission, sometimes your protein family needs to call in some outside help to tackle the biggest challenges. That's where amino acids come in. While some amino acids can be produced within your body's crew, others (known as Essential Amino Acids) need to be recruited from your diet.

To assemble the perfect protein dream team, fuel up with lean meats, fish, dairy, legumes, and nuts. Together, they'll keep your body running like a well-oiled, high-performance machine.

Quick Tips:

• Aim for 1g/kg (.5g/lb) of BW for your protein intake.

• Try to incorporate 15g+ protein into every meal.

• Getting protein from whole foods is better, but supplementing is fine.

The Last Word

We can also finally put to bed the nonsensical myth that protein intake harms your kidneys. Study after study after study has shown this to be false. Unless you have renal disease, you cannot eat enough protein to harm your kidneys. 

Balancing Macronutrients for Optimal Health

Creating a balanced diet means ensuring you're getting the right mix of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. This is going to be different for most people.

More importantly, tracking your macros is a fairly advanced strategy. It’s a pain in the ass and it’s not at all suitable for people who don’t have a good relationship with food.

Baby steps: 

1. Start with tracking calories and protein. Let the carbs and fats fall where they may.

2. When you’re consistently hitting both, start playing with fat and carbs. Try increasing carbs and lowering fat. Then try the opposite. See what works for you.

3. Most people never need to go past step 2. If you do for a weight class sport or a photo shoot we recommend hiring a coach. At least for the first time.

We’ll go over a more advanced macro strategy in the future.

They're Important to Understand, But Don't Obsess

Understanding macronutrients is an essential step in achieving a healthy, balanced diet. However, that doesn’t mean you need to track them to be healthy.

It's crucial not to become overly fixated on counting macros or rigidly adhering to specific percentages. Listen to your body, make informed choices, and enjoy a variety of nutrient-dense foods to fuel your body and support your health goals.

It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.

A Tweet

An interesting Tweet thread from David Perrell about Revenge Bedtime Procrastination:

An Article

Apparently there is an unwritten rule in cycling. When the leader stops to take a pee break, everyone else does too.

Unless they decide not to… this article gets into the Regina George style politics of pee breaks in cycling.

A Video

Nature Photographer Brad Josephs caught what is likely the greatest bear fight ever caught on camera last week in Alaska. Not only is the setting insanely beautiful, but these two go at it for quite a while.

The fighting starts around the :55 mark after the customary 30-40s of “come at me bro” dialogue. Although it would have been nice if there was a blue/red corner because we have no idea who won.

We also have no idea how 7% of men in this poll responded that they could take a Grizzly Bear in a fight.

Hope you all had a fantastic Monday and woke up ready to crush your goals today!

As always, let us know if you found this edition helpful. And if you did, share it with a loved one!

Make sure to come back tomorrow for a special new segment that’ll have you whooping all day long.