Joe Ocana

Math 1030
Final Project

Macronutrients
What are Macronutrients? Lets begin from the beginning; the human
body needs fuel to survive. By feeding your body food, it keeps your body
alive. But the body is more complex than just putting anything into it, you
must give it nutrition for it to function properly. Nutrients is a word to
describe the substances in food that provide structural materials or energy
(Belk, p 56). In essence, anything you eat can be consider nutrients, but the
necessary ones are called macronutrients. These macronutrients are water,
carbohydrates, protein, and fats. You must eat those nutrients every day to
keep the body functioning properly and to stay alive.
Water
Now that we know what macronutrients are, lets begin explaining
what each of those nutrients are. Water is the most important of all the
macronutrients. We need water for our bodies to function properly and more
importantly to stay alive. Water is used for digestion, it carries nutrients,
regulates blood pressure, and is involved in cellular activities. Although we
do not absorb oxygen through water like fish, our bodies are made of 55% to
65% water, our brain is made up of 70%, and our lungs are made up of 90%.
It is critical for us to drink water and at a minimum of 3 liters a day. The 3
liters are minimal because we lose about 2.5 to 3 liters of water each day
through sweat, urine, and feces. If water is not replenished, you will become
dehydrated. (Wikipedia, online)
Dehydration is when there is a deficiency of water in our bodies. The
symptoms of dehydration is muscle cramps, fatigue, headaches, dizziness,
nausea, confusion and increased heart rate. You can only live an average of
about 3 days without water as opposed to roughly 3 weeks without food.
Our bodies depends on water to carry nutrients, carries some oxygen and
regulates our body temperatures through sweating. If water is low, our
bodies cannot regulate our temperatures and we can have heat strokes. In
severe dehydration, you will have hallucinations, heat stroke, and finally
death.
Most importantly our bodies are made of 5 liters of blood. Our blood is
made of roughly 55% plasma and plasma is made of 92% water. Plasma
carries red blood cells that have oxygen, white blood cells are also carried
which helps fight infection, and finally, plasma carries platelets that help in
Joe Ocana
Math 1030

Macronutrients
Final Project

Page:
1

blood clotting. Water is the most important macronutrient, it is imperative

we maintain our water levels for our bodies to function optimally.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are sugars. We get carbohydrates from mostly
anything, some examples are bread, cereal, rice, and pasta. But also fruits
and vegetables are rich in sugars. Carbohydrates are broken down into 2
groups, monosaccharides and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides are
individual sugar molecules which are called simple sugars. Polysaccharides
are multiple sugar molecules that are bonded to each other and are called
complex carbohydrates.
Simple sugars enters the bloodstream right after digestion. Milk, juice,
honey, and some refined foods are examples of simple sugars. Because
simple sugars are single sugar molecules that are not bonded, they are easy
to metabolize and the first to be used for energy.
Complex sugars are more difficult to metabolize. They metabolize
slower because of their multiple sugar molecules that are bonded together.
Therefore, complex sugars are easily stored as fat. Complex sugars are can
be eaten from vegetables, breads, legumes, and pastas.
We can store sugars as fats for later use. We store sugars in our liver
and body fat. We most first burn the sugars in our bloodstream before our
stored sugars are released. Endurance athletes such as marathon runners
will load up on complex carbohydrates a couple of days before the run so
that their bodies will have enough energy for the grueling 26.2 mile run.
Although most nutritionist agree that complex carbohydrates should be
part of your healthy diet, they warn against processed foods. Processed
foods are foods that have gone through extensive refining that are stripped
from much of their nutritional values. For example, unrefined brown sugar
comes from the juices of the sugar cane that has nutritional values and
minerals. But factories will refine the sugar to remove different flavors from
it, therefore taking all nutritional value of raw, unrefined sugars.
Fiber is also sugar. Except fiber is a very complex carbohydrate that
our bodies cannot digest. We eat fiber to clean out our intestines. Fiber
also helps us avoid getting certain type of cancers. It is also helps us feel full
without adding unwanted sugars to our bodies. Fiber is very beneficial to
humans to keep us full, regular, and healthy. Some examples of fibers are
whole grains, beans, and some fruits and vegetables. Although fiber bars
Joe Ocana
Math 1030

Macronutrients
Final Project

Page:
2

may be fibrous, they have added processed sugars such as chocolate chips
and artificial sweeteners that are unhealthy to your body.
Carbohydrates are a major source of energy for our daily lives, they
also play an important role in the molecular level. The energy released from
sugar is called adenosine triphosphate or ATP. The process goes as followed:
carbohydrates turn into glucose, from glucose into glycolysis, into pyruvic
acid then it picks up 2 carbons, and finally it becomes ATP. Once it is formed
into ATP, it is used into energy for muscle cells to move. But that whole
process needs all four macronutrients to actually function properly.

Protein
Proteins are large molecules made of monomer subunits called amino
acids. (Belk, p 39). There are 20 amino acids that your body needs to
function properly. 9 of them are not produced from the body. These amino
acids that are not created from the body are called essential amino acids and
they must be supplied by eating foods. These amino acids can be supplied
by eating beef, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts, and dairy products.
Vegetarians must eat several more different types of plants to receive
the same amount of essential amino acids than people who can eat animals
and animal products. For example lentils are high in the essential amino
acids called lysine and low in valine. While rice is high in valine and low on
lysine, by eating both rice and beans vegetarians are able to eat the
appropriate amount of both essential amino acids. While people who can eat
meat, can just eat meat to receive both the right amount of lysine and
valine.
The reason we need several different types of amino acids is because
each individual amino acid will join to each other to produce a particular
sequence chain of amino acids called polypeptides. Polypeptides are the
actual protein. There are several different types of protein depending on
what amino acids become bonded. The reason for the different type of
proteins is because the body has different types of material structure such as
muscle, collagen, and cartilage to name a few. The body will produce the
correct sequence of protein to heal or build whatever it needs. It is
important that we eat a variety of food to maintain our bodies healthy.
Bodybuilders are more inclined to eat more protein. But contrary to
their belief, eating more protein does not produce more muscle.
Unfortunately, eating more protein only will help you gain more stored
energy called fat. Nutritionist recommend to eat 36 grams of protein for
every 100 pounds of weight or .36 grams of protein per pound. They also
Joe Ocana
Math 1030

Macronutrients
Final Project

Page:
3

recommend that bodybuilders shouldnt bother with protein powders

because you can receive your recommend amount of protein by eating
regular foods. Since the average chicken breast contains close to 50 grams
of protein, a slice of cheese around 7 grams of protein, and one cup of
broccoli around 5-you can see that it is easy to obtain all the protein you
need through your diet. (Belk, p. 59). Even if you are an athlete, all you
need is 50% more protein which should be easy to obtain through normal
foods. The difference between supplements and regular foods is the time
that is needed to digest the foods so that the athlete may have the energy
ready when the time is right. These supplements come with a risk of added
chemicals that may be dangerous and damaging to your body.
It is important to consume several different types of protein so that our
bodies function properly. It is also safer to eat natural foods rather than
supplements and it is also cheaper eating natural foods than supplements.
Remember not to over consume protein for muscle gain, too much protein
will only be stored as fat for later consumption.
Fats
Fats are actually a necessity for staying alive. Fat helps cushion your
organs, helps insulate you from cold temperature, and it will help you in
times of famine. You can get fat in pretty much anything we eat that is
purchased at stores and restaurants. These foods include meat, milk,
cheese, vegetable oils, and nuts. There are different types of fats, essential
fatty acids, saturated fat, unsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats,
hydrogenated fats, and finally trans fat are a few examples of fats. All fats
have their part in our bodies for proper functions.
Essential fatty acids are fats that cannot be produced by your body but
has to be obtain by consumption of food. Omegas 3, 6, and 9 are examples
of essential fatty acids and are usually obtain from fish. Nutritionist
recommend eating 12 ounces of fish every week. Although people can take
fish oil capsules, it does not obtain other nutrition as if they were to eat fish.
Over half of our brain is made up of fat. It is largely the most important
organ that needs essential fatty acids. Of course too much or too little fat
will lower the performance of our brains.
Fat has 3 long hydrocarbons chains that are called fatty acid tails.
These fatty acid tails are made of carbons that have hydrogen attached to
them. When the fatty acid tails are bonded to as many hydrogens as
possible, it is called saturated fats. The fat becomes solid at room
temperature.
When the fatty acid carbons are double bonded carbon to carbon
rather than hydrogen, then it is called unsaturated fat. Unsaturated fat is
Joe Ocana
Math 1030

Macronutrients
Final Project

Page:
4

usually still liquid at room temperature. It is also easier for the body to
metabolize quicker than saturated fat.
Polyunsaturated fats are carbons that are double bonded to as many
carbons as possible creating kinks on the fatty acid tail. This fat is also liquid
at room temperature and stays liquid at cooler temperatures. This is the
easiest fat to digest and is not stored in the body as easily.
Hydrogenated fat is unsaturated fat that has hydrogen added to it.
The best example of hydrogenated fat is margarine. The reason to add
hydrogen to unsaturated fat is to make it less greasy and it also increases
the shelf life. But it does not have any health benefits, it is still considered a
saturated fat.
Trans fats are incomplete hydrogenated fats. Trans fat are not required
for nutrition and does not have any health benefits. Trans fat are largely
used for fast food restaurants, energy bars, protein bars, fiber bars, and
other nutrition bars. Trans fat are still being study because of the excess
trans fat intake, they are thought to be the reason for clogged arteries and
heart disease.
Although fats are part of the macronutrients, nutritionist recommend
that you limit your fat intake. Too much fat can cause heart disease and
drastically reduce your bodys functions. Always trend to eat the essential
fats and avoid the others.
Calories
We consume calories to provide our bodies with energy. What is a
calorie? Energy is measured in units called calories. A calorie is the amount
of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree
Celsius (Belk, p. 75). Even our most basic functions such as breathing,
circulating blood, and maintaining our body temperature need energy for
proper function. The average person that is resting but awake and alert, will
metabolize 70 calories per hour. In a day, the average person will burn 1680
calories while they are awake and alert. The problem is that people will not
bother to understand what they are eating and what they need to stay
healthy. Most people will eat because they are bored and not hungry. People
will also eat things that are cheap and quick. Macronutrients can be broken
down into portions for each person to eat and stay healthy. Individuals need
to be taught what they need and how much.
First lets find out how many calories are used per hour for the
following frequently used daily activities:

Joe Ocana
Math 1030

Macronutrients
Final Project

Page:
5

Multiply your weight by the activity to get calories burned per hour.

Activity
0

3.48
3.06
3
2.7
2.52
2.16
2
3
4

5.28

4.15

Calories/hour/pound of body weight

(Belk, p. 76)

Now that you know how many calories you are using per hour per activity,
you need to know that a pound of fat is roughly 3500 calories. You must
understand that belly fat, also known as stubborn fat is the last to be used
for energy. Your body will use the sugar in your bloodstream first. This will
typically take about 5 minutes of some sort of light cardio. At about 5
minutes to about 45 minutes, your body will start using your muscles for
energy. Because you will be losing muscle mass, it is recommended to do
your strength training during that period of working out. Finally anything
past 45 minutes, your belly fat will start to be utilized. You should go past 90
minutes because again, your body will turn back to your muscles for energy.
How much should you eat? Carbohydrates have 4 calories per 1 gram,
protein also has 4 calories per 1 gram but fats, have 9 calories per 1 gram.
The information below will help people understand how much they need to
eat. The chart will also take into account the amount of exercise each
individual has per week.

NUTRITION ASSESSMENT
BMI Calculation:

My BMI:

25
BMI = (

190
(73) x (73)

) x 703

>18.5 indicates = underweight

18.5-24.9 = healthy weight
25.0-30.0 =overweight.

Joe Ocana
Math 1030

Macronutrients
Final Project

Page:
6

30.0 = obese
Ideal Body Weight:

My Ideal Body Weight:

184lbs

Men: 106 pounds for the first 5 feet and another 6 pounds per every inch over 5 feet.
12x5=60in. 73in.-60in.=13inx6lbs=78lbs+106lbs= 184lbs
Women: 100 pounds for the first 5 feet, and 5 pounds per every inch over 5 feet.
* +/- 10% to account for differences in frame size
BMR Calculation

My average energy needs:

1915.89kcals_
W = weight in kilograms (wt. in lbs.190/2.2) = 86.3636363636kg
H = height in centimeters (ht. in inches 73x 2.54) = 185.42cm
A = age in years 32
Harris Benedict:
Men: kcal/day = (13.75 x Wt) + (5 x Ht) - (6.76 x Age) + 66

My energy needs:

1964.28kcals
Men: kcal/day = (13.75 x 86.3636363636) + (5 x 185.42) - (6.76 x 32) + 66
1187.5+927.1-216.32+66=1964.28
Women: kcal/day = (9.56 x Wt) + (1.85 x Ht) - (4.68 x Age) + 655
Mifflin St. Jeor:
Men: kcal/day = 10 weight + 6.25 height 5 age + 5

My energy needs:

1867.51kcals_
Men: kcal/day = 10 86.3636363636 + 6.25 185.42 5 32 + 5
863.636363636+1158.875-160+5= 1867.51136364
Women: kcal/day = 10 weight + 6.25 height 5 age 161

Exercise Level

Details

Little to no exercise

Calorie Calculation (Daily

Needs)
BMR x 1.2

Light exercise

1-3 days per week

BMR x 1.375

Moderate exercise

3-5 days per week

BMR x 1.55

Joe Ocana
Math 1030

Macronutrients
Final Project

Page:
7

Heavy exercise

6-7 days per week

BMR x 1.725

Very heavy

twice per day, extra heavy

BMR x 1.9

exercise

workouts

Kcals/Kg:

1915.89568182x1.2=2299.07481818

My energy needs:

2299.07kcals
Normal weight: 25 30 kcal/kg BW
Overweight: 20 25 kcal/kg BW
Underweight: 30 35 kcal/kg BW
Macroutrient Needs
Carbohydrates (45 65% total kcals)
needs: 1035kcals_____

2299x.45=1034.583636818 My carbohydrate

1035/4=258.75 grams
Fat (25 35% total kcals)
needs:
575kcals

______

2299x.25=574.75

My fat

2299x.30=689.7

My protein

575/9=63.8888888889 grams
Protein (10 35% total kcals)
needs:
690kcals
690/4=172.5 grams
Fluid Needs Calculation
95ounces

My fluid needs:

0.5 ounces x Body Weight in Pounds = Daily Fluid Requirement in ounces

.5x190=95
0.034 ounces x Daily Caloric Intake = Daily Fluid Requirement in ounces
.034x2299.07=78.16838

(Christensen, class lecture)

Why do we use kcals? In scientific literature, energy is usually

reported in kilocalories, and 1 kilocalorie equals 1000 calories of energy.
However, in physiology-and on nutritional labels-the prefix kilo- is dropped,
and a kilocalorie is referred to a Calorie (with a capital C). (Belk, p. 75)
When speaking about nutritional calories, we understand a kcal and calorie is
the something.

Joe Ocana
Math 1030

Macronutrients
Final Project

Page:
8

Having this useful information will help maintain the proper calories for
optimal body functionality. Using this knowledge can help individuals
manipulate their weights. Lets say an individual would like to lose 1 pound
per week. Remember that 1 pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. Losing
the 1 pound per week would be eating 300 less calories a day while working
out and burning at least 200 calories per work out. That means for a person
that weighs 190 pounds, he needs to walk only 30 minutes a day while
eating 300 calories less a day.
According to the chart on page 5, walking uses 2.16 times your weight
for 1 hour. That means: 2.16 x 190lbs=410.4 kcal, now divide 410.4kcal by 2
for 30 minutes is 410.4/2 = 205.2 kcals, therefore you only need to walk for
30 minutes a day to lose 205.2 calories a day. Plus you need to eat 300
calories less a day. Now according to page 7, 2299.07 kcals are need for a
man of 190 pounds. This means: 2299.07 kcals 300kcal = 1999.07 kcals.
The man needs to now eat 1999.07 kcals a day. By following that equation,
this man will be able to reach his goal of losing 1 pound per week.
Macronutrients are the most essential nutrients but most be controlled
into appropriate portions because excessive nutrients can and will turn into
fat. Although fats are a requirement for our bodies, too much will lead us
into trouble with our circulation, heart disease, and death. This knowledge of
macronutrients should help everyone understand and manipulate their
weights.

Work Cited:

Joe Ocana
Math 1030

Macronutrients
Final Project

Page:
9

Belk, Collen. "2,3,4." Human Biology, Second Custom Edition for Salt Lake
Community College. Second ed. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2014. 520.
Print.
Christensen. "Health 1020 Foundations of Nutrition." Class. Salt Lake Community
College, Jordan. 25 Apr. 2015. Lecture.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.wikipedia.org>.

Joe Ocana
Math 1030

Macronutrients
Final Project

Page:
10