GUIDE TO

IIFYM
IF IT FITS YOUR MACROS
“IF IT FITS YOUR MACROS” (IIFYM) IS A DIET
PHILOSOPHY, WHICH DICTATES THAT AS LONG AS
YOU CONSUME THE CORRECT NUMBER OF GRAMS
OF EACH MACRONUTRIENT - KNOWN AS
“MACROS”, (PROTEIN, CARBS AND FAT) - EVERY
DAY, YOU’LL HAVE SUCCESSFUL RESULTS FROM
YOUR EFFORTS IN THE GYM.
On the surface, IIFYM makes a
compelling case. From a totally
simplistic point of view, it makes
sense because all carbs and
proteins have about four calories
per gram and all fats have about
nine calories per gram. So according
to the first law of thermodynamics,
because a calorie is a measure of
energy (heat), eating an equal
amount of calories should cause
equal loss or gain of body fat in a
given individual.
Another attractive feature is that
it allows flexible food choices, so ice
cream, chips and chocolate are still
on the menu as long as you stay
within your macro limits - how great
is that? Well, it sounds pretty great
and while I agree that there is no
need to cut out all “junk” when when
dieting to get lean, unfortunately,
these two premises above have
several flaws and achieving an
effective diet is quite a bit more
complex than just hitting your
macros?
THE BASICS
First a little necessary technical
overview…In the jargon of nutrition-
ists, the four macronutrients are
protein, carbs, fats and alcohol. Yes,
alcohol is a macronutrient and if you
drink, you’ve got to make an adjust-
ment to your App, to include the
seven calories per gram that it
provides. Strangely (or tellingly), I
haven’t seen alcohol mentioned in
any of the IIFYM articles I’ve read
and from my experience, most
000 MUSCLE & FITNESS
gym-goers do like at least the
occasional drink.
IIFYM DILEMMAS
The nutrition dogma from many
years ago (and still promoted by
many nutritionists and dieticians
today) states that if calorie intake is
equal, weight loss will be the same,
regardless of the source of those
calories. So you might conclude that
as long as we set our macro targets
to ensure enough protein, why
wouldn’t IIFYM work?
One of the main reasons this won’t
work in practice is that the calories
from each food, whether it is from
the same or a different macro
category can have much more
complex effects on the body than
just delivering energy (calories). For
instance, it has been shown in a
large body of research that from a
weight loss perspective, each food
with the same calorie and macronu-
trient content is not equal and has
effects over and above those which
their simple calorie payload would
dictate. Another reason why the
caloric simplicity of IIFYM doesn’t
play out in the real world is that each
macro and each food even within the
same macro will have differing
effects on hormones, various other
messengers and the metabolism in
general, thus resulting in differing
metabolic effects. A third issue with
IIFYM is that it doesn’t consider
micronutrients, the vitamins,
minerals and trace elements, which
are essential to the metabolic
processes which underpin perfor-
mance, recovery and good health.
The majority of diets are already
lacking in one or more micronutri-
ents and that’s as measured from
the perspective of hitting “minimum
requirements”, not those for opti-
mum health and performance. So
really, the last thing we need to be
doing is focussing exclusively on
macros! Lastly, IIFYM doesn’t
consider the other health-promoting
nutrients that are found in a variety
of foods, called “phytochemicals”. If
your sole goal is to hit your macro
targets, chances are you’ll be
neglecting various phytochemicals
like flavanoids, catechins, carot-
enoids, etc, some of which have
been shown to improve body
composition, health and perfor-
mance!
PROTEIN & IIFYM
The first nutrient a well-read IIFYM
user would set a macro level for is
protein. It probably wouldn’t take
too much research to determine
that the accepted minimum intake
for those wanting to build lean
muscle or lose fat is at least two
grams per kilo of body weight. In
most circumstances, this level of
intake would be more than sufficient
but one thing that’s almost as
important as the amount of protein
intake is the type of protein intake.
Many sources of protein are “incom-
plete”, so they don’t contain enough
of one or more essential amino acids
that is required in the diet for
growth and repair of muscles. For
instance beans/legumes, grains and
gelatine are all reasonably high in
protein but it wouldn’t be difficult to
combine them in a way that resulted
in an inadequate intake of one or
more of these crucial amino acids.
So a person could be getting all of
their macros in the “right” amounts
and yet creating an amino acid
deficit that would diminish their
likelihood of achieving their goals.
Before long, this person’s exercise
recovery would be impaired, along
with, eventually, their health,
immunity and muscle growth. Of
course, at an intake of two grams of
protein per kilo, it would be difficult
to become severely deficient in an
essential amino acid but this does
show the potential limitations of the
IIFYM method and protein quality
has definitively been associated
with better muscle growth and
lower body fat levels.
Numerous studies have shown
that high-quality proteins (like whey)
outperform lower quality varieties.
This can be demonstrated in studies
on increasing strength and gaining
muscle but also (as is under-
reported) on getting and staying
lean. In one study, researchers
counted how many high-protein
meals subjects ate and then
measured their abdominal body fat
levels using the highly-accurate
DEXA (Dual Energy Xray Absorpti-
ometry) scans. The results showed
that the more high-quality protein
meals people ate, the lower was
their abdominal body fat. The
threshold the scientists used to
define “quality protein” was a
serving of protein containing at
least 10 grams of essential amino
acids (about 20 g whey protein and
up to 30 or 40 grams for lower-qual-
ity proteins).
This study demonstrates that not
only is eating more quality protein
better for gaining muscle and
recovering from exercise, it is also
better for burning off body fat! So,
as you can see, the problem with
just focusing on macros, is that
protein quality can easily be over-
looked. But not getting enough
quality protein isn’t the only draw-
back to IIFYM. Similar types of
issues need to be considered when
talking about other macros too.
CARBS & IIFYM
Carbs come in a variety of shapes
and sizes and include huge numbers
of a variety of constituents, which
can affect all aspects of the metab-
olism. For instance, the glycemic
index (GI) of a food has a dramatic
effect upon levels of blood sugar
and the hormone insulin, which is
tasked with controlling these levels.
High GI carbs, like sugars and
quickly-absorbed starches, cause a
large, rapid insulin spike, while
low-GI carbs cause a moderate,
prolonged increase in blood sugar
and a much lower insulin response.
Carbs like fibre have a minimal
effect on blood sugar and insulin
and actually help to lower the
response when eaten with other
carbs.
All of this is important because
high insulin levels are incompatible
with fat loss and the insulin
response is very closely correlated
with the amount of carbs you eat
- even if you eat them with other
foods in a mixed meal[1]
FAT & IIFYM
Different fats, like carbs, can have
profoundly different effects on the
metabolism and body fat levels.
There are “bad guys”, like hydrogen-
ated (trans) fats and good guys, like
omega-3s (fish oil, flax, etc.). Eating
a higher percentage of one of these
fats (or several others) can have
differing effects on body fat levels,
again, despite the calorie content
being almost identical. Arguably,
again like carbs, the types of fat
people eat can have almost as
powerful an effect on their health
and levels of fat and muscle as how
much they eat.
This doesn’t just apply to the fats
we hear about in the media, each fat
seems to have its own unique
influence on our metabolsims. One
example is that polyunsaturated
fats (found mostly in nuts, seeds
and vegetables) stimulate the
metabolic rate to a greater degree
than monounsaturated and satu-
rated fats[2]. Also, monounsatu-
rates, like those found in olive oil,
meat and nuts help to preserve
insulin function and research shows
that the monounsaturated fat oleic
acid is 14 times more likely to be
burned by the body as fuel than the
saturated fat stearic acid[3]. So as
you can see again, the type and not
just the amount of fats used to hit
your macros could have profound
implications on how much fat gets
burned and how little gets stored.
MEAL TIMING
Now that we’ve taken a brief look
at a few of the basic problems
concerning how macronutrients
are used within IIFYM, let’s look
at some other issues.
Ask just about any serious
bodybuilder or fitness competitor
how often they eat and they’ll tell
you that frequent small meals are
an essential aspect of fat loss
and preservation of muscle
during hardcore dieting. However,
there is a growing backlash
against this concept, with a few
diet gurus even suggesting
fasting several days of the week
as an effective way of getting
lean. In fact, while fasting is
probably not appropriate for guys
who exercise intensely and
consistently, some research does
suggest that eating a more
normal number of meals daily
could have advantages for
preserving and building muscle.
Of course, as often happens
when a little bit of new research
comes out, some people jump on
the contrarian bandwagon and
proclaim the old protocol dead
and buried and over-commit to
some new philosophy.
MUSCLE & FITNESS 000
 This, despite the most reason-
able course of action being to
gradually and proportionally
adjust diet recommendations in
response to new science, instead
of throwing the baby out with the
bathwater. This has happened
recently in debates around carb
timing, with some people ques-
tioning whether when you eat
your carbs has any influence on
body composition and even
actively recommending eating
carbs just before bed.
The research that I’ve reviewed
on this topic makes it fairly clear
that eating more of your calories,
carbs and protein early in the day
results in less body fat mass and
less hunger throughout the day
versus eating the same amount of
those foods later in the day. This
makes sense because insulin
function is more efficient in the
morning and glycogen stores are
lower. So carbs eaten in the
morning are less likely to cause
excess insulin secretion and are
more likely to be stored in muscle
as glycogen, which helps to
improve high-intensity exercise
performance and avoids those
carbs promoting body fat.
Studies on protein are even
more clear. If you make your
protein feedings too small and
frequent or too large and infre-
quent, you detract from some of
the muscle-building effects - so
there’s a “sweet spot” we should
aim for when considering our
protein intake[4]. Studies looking
at the muscle gains of subjects
who lift weights have also shown
that having quality protein (and
certain amino acids) just before
or just after exercise is more
effective than having that protein
at other times throughout the
day.
So while it probably won’t be a
primary consideration for IIFYM
advocates when planning a diet,
timing does matter and is just
another drawback of IIFYM.
000 MUSCLE & FITNESS
A CLOSER LOOK AT
MICRONUTRIENTS
Along with macronutrients, we’ve
got to consider our intake of
micronutrients. Micronutrients are
the vitamins, minerals and trace
elements that must be consumed in
adequate quantities from the diet to
support thousands of metabolic
functions which are essential to life.
Unfortunately, national nutrition
surveys from Western countries and
published research have frequently
demonstrated that most people
don’t get their minimum require-
ment[5].
Having worked with many clients
(over half of whom were athletes
and bodybuilders), I can confirm that
most of them had at least one
obvious deficit in their diet, often
including a micronutrient deficiency.
So telling clients to just go out and
hit their macros would be expected
to make this problem worse.
You may have heard a dietician or
nutritionist confidently state that all
you need to get all of your essential
nutrients is a balanced diet and of
course, a balanced diet would be an
ideal foundation for everyone but
there are two problems with this: 1)
how many people are actually going
to eat at least five fruits and
vegetables per day, with enough
dairy, fish, meat, essential fats, etc?
and 2) you can’t get adequate
amounts of some vitamins from your
diet. For instance, vitamin D is not
found in high enough levels in food
to satisfy requirements. So for some
micros, you’ll have to take a supple-
ment. The problem with this is that
many multivitamin/mineral supple-
ments just aren’t very good, they’re
either formulated with too much or
too little of one nutrient or another
or the forms of nutrients may not be
very effective.
Many countries have decided it is
necessary to add certain nutrients,
vitamins and minerals to food. Iron
and folate are added to cereals and
bread, iodine to salt and fluoride to
the water supply. This has had
measurable, positive results on
health. It is also standard practice to
give pregnant women folate (and in
many countries, iron) supplements
to avoid serious neural tube defects
in babies and anemia. Would this be
necessary if the government really
thought we get everything we need
from our diets?
Furthermore, researchers at the
Harvard School of Public Health
have demonstrated that in the
United States, low intakes of folate
and vitamins B6, B12, A and D are
common.This highly respected
institution has also said that taking
a daily multivitamin supplement
“makes sense”. A study from the
Journal of the International Society
of Sports Nutrition further drives
home the scale of the problem.
When scientists analysed diets of
both athletes and sedentary adults,
the results were even worse than
expected. Of the 70 diets analysed,
not one met the recommended daily
allowance for all vitamins and
minerals.
What makes this even more
staggering is that the recommended
daily allowance refers to the
minimum amount of nutrients
necessary to avoid becoming
deficient. It’s not the optimum
dosage for maximum health or
performance!
However, most concerning is that
if you’re dieting, the odds are very
high you will miss your micro
targets. This was demonstrated by a
Stanford Medical School study in
which scientists put four groups of
volunteers on one of four popular
diets, which resulted in three of
them having inadequate intakes of
vitamins and minerals, including
various B vitamins, C and E, folate,
iron, magnesium and zinc. At the end
of the study, they concluded:
“Weight loss diets that focus on
macronutrient composition should
attend to the overall quality of the
diet, including the adequacy of
micronutrient intakes.” …so pretty
much a warning against focusing on
just “hitting your macros”!
Besides the obvious health
effects, a deficiency in any vitamin
or mineral can inhibit one or more
metabolic activities which could
hamper performance. Two of the
clearest examples of hormones,
health, muscle, and body fat being
affected by inadequate micros are
vitamin D and zinc.
It is not an exaggeration to say
that many Western countries are in
the middle of a vitamin D epidemic.
The bioactive form of vitamin D (D3)
that we require is produced as a
result of exposure of the skin to
sunlight and these days, most
people don’t get enough sun to
make adequate amounts. Without
enough sunlight we must get it from
our diet but you can’t get nearly
enough just from food. Conse-
quences of low vitamin D can
include negative effects on heart
health, blood pressure, mood, body
fat, bone health and muscle func-
tion.
Zinc is probably the most impor-
tant mineral for male athletes and
research has shown that athletes
may be more prone to deficiency. A
2008 study showed elite weightlift-
ers had lower zinc levels than
sedentary control subjects and the
zinc levels of elite swimmers can
suffer the same fate. Other studies
have confirmed the prevalence of
zinc deficiency in the general
population in western countries,
especially in regular gym-goers.
This is a problem because without
enough zinc you won’t make enough
of the hormone testosterone, which
is the most influential hormone
when it comes to building muscle.
That testosterone also won’t bind to
the cell as well, thus not delivering
its muscle-building signal as well.
Inadequate zinc can also lead to
higher levels of inflammation and
cell damaging, lipid peroxidation.
Fortunately, several studies have
shown that zinc supplementation
can effectively reverse this situa-
tion. It is clear that replenishing zinc
when levels are even marginally
deficient restores testosterone
significantly. Studies in older men
demonstrated that zinc supplemen-
tation can virtually double testos-
terone levels. Even in very young
men, zinc supplementation not only
increased testosterone levels but
also increased thyroid hormone and
performance.
The situation with vitamin D and
zinc are just two of several micronu-
trients that we have to be aware of
in our diets, so this means we either
have to ensure we are getting the
nutrient-dense sources of these
vitamins from food and that we
supplement what we can’t get from
food by using a quality multivitamin/
mineral product. To back up these
recommendations, research
published in the British Journal of
Clinical Nutrition showed that men
who took a multivitamin had lower
body weight, less fat mass, lower
BMI and a strong tendency to have a
faster metabolism.
MICRO RECOM-
MENDATIONS
Here’s a quick overview of what
ranges of nutrients to look for in a
multi. Many of these dosage
decisions depend on your diet and
any special circumstances you may
have - training, injury, genetic
propensities, etc. Generally, if you
eat lots of a variety of fruit, vegeta-
bles, meats and dairy, then your
requirements will be lower.
Vitamin A: 200-800mcg depend-
ing upon diet (fruit and veg intake)
Vitamin D: 200-1000IU (depend-
ing upon sun exposure)
Vitamin E: 50-35mg (depends
upon dietary fat intake and
sources)
Vitamin C: 200-500mg
Thiamin 5-20mg
Riboflavin 5-20mg
Niacin 20mg
Folate (Folic Acid): 200mcg
Vitamin B6: 10-20mg
Biotin: 50mcg
Pantothenic Acid: 10mg
Magnesium: 200-400mg
Zinc: 15-30mg
Copper: 1mg
Manganese: 1mg
Selenium: 50-150mcg
Chromium: 40-100mcg
Boron: 1-6mg
PROTEIN
We touched a little bit upon how this
fundamental macronutrient could
be incorporated into IIFYM in the
introduction, so let’s put a little more
meat on the bones (sorry)…
PROTEIN SOURCES
Most of us know that protein is the
primary structural material for
muscle building. The amino acids
from protein are released from their
long protein chains during digestion,
they’re absorbed into the blood and
they are re-formed into various
proteins the body needs to build
tissue (especially muscle), enzymes,
blood cells, immune factors, and
hormones.
Fundamentally, you have to eat a
certain amount of protein to ensure
that your body has enough of each
amino acid to build the necessary
proteins that are required for
growth, repair and metabolic
activity. But it’s a little more com-
plex than that. Different proteins
have different effects and nutri-
tional profiles, and also timing -
when you take your protein - is an
important consideration.
QUALITY PROTEINS
It is well-known that some proteins
are “higher quality” than others but
what does that actually mean? We’ll
look further into this shortly but for
now let’s look at a few protein
scenarios. It is possible to eat a full
2 g of protein per kg of bodyweight,
which should be plenty for hypertro-
phy and recovery but still have
inadequate protein nutrition. It’s not
likely on a typical diet but you could
get most of your protein from
gelatine, nuts, and legumes. In this
MUSCLE & FITNESS 000
case, especially if you were also activity. Other research has shown could be best served by over 400g.
following a fashionable (but usually the same thing, so it is becoming The optimal amount will be
not necessary) gluten-free diet, you clear that EAAs build and repair different for each person. Still, if you
could virtually shut down all muscle muscle while non-essential amino want the best possible muscle
growth and repair due to a defi- acids have little use in building growth and recovery you should eat
ciency of the essential amino acid muscle directly. slightly more protein than the
methionine. Most good Sports Nutrition geeks highest recommendation and that
Although it is certainly not typical have read this study or similar ones, means at least 2 g of protein per kg
that anyone would actually get the however, what even most of the of bodyweight per day but some
majority of their protein from these geeks aren’t aware of is that EAAs studies suggest there may be
sources, it demonstrates the don’t just build muscle; they also advantages to getting even more,
potential consequences of ignoring strongly affect body fat levels, as especially when dieting.
protein quality and just trying to hit was detailed above in the brief intro Just to be completely thorough,
a certain number of grams per day. If to Protein and IIFYM. Importantly, note that I said you absorb 100% of
one or more essential amino acid is the only foods that could deliver the “most” proteins. This isn’t true for all
in short supply from one or more of ten grams of EAAs that were proteins and this is another area
your main sources of protein, then necessary to show the effects on where simply hitting your macros
this negatively impacts muscle body fat, from a typical serving are can
growth. Secondly, protein quality meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy go wrong. Despite the media and
depends on how much protein you products, including (especially) various dieticians and nutritionists
absorb and (more importantly) whey protein. describing legumes, such as beans,
retain. This is one of the most poorly peanuts, peas, and soya beans, as
understood concepts in sports PROTEIN great sources of protein. In many
nutrition. ABSORBTION cases they aren’t. In most cases, not
Most people who have been doing only are these “protein foods” not
ESSENTIAL their homework have probably read that high in protein, legumes also
AMINO ACIDS at least one article claiming that contain “anti-nutritional factors” like
The relative concentration of each there is a certain threshold to how trypsin inhibitors, haemagglutinins,
amino acid in a protein is called the much protein the body can absorb tannins, and phytates, which can
amino acid profile. The protein with at one feeding - often stated as decrease the digestibility and
the highest concentration of each being 30 grams. The authors of protein quality of these foods by
essential amino, relative to the need these articles confidently assert 50% to 100%. So if you’re eating
of the human body for that amino that if you have any more than this tons of soya beans, lentils and
acid is the one that has the best amount it will be wasted. This has kidney beans as your primary
amino acid profile. This focus on lead to the emergence of a long- sources of protein, you are very
EAAs is because they are the amino standing wives tale and has left unlikely to make the gains you could
acids that are the most potent thousands of people confused. Well, be making. Remember, these foods
musclebuilders. Research has made here’s the deal - the main problem have fewer EAAs and you absorb far
the case for EAAs even stronger with this premise is the misuse of fewer of them, meaning less muscle
over the last few years. For instance, the word “absorb”. and more fat.
Dr Robert Wolfe, one of the world’s The fact is a healthy gut absorbs
top protein anabolism experts, gave virtually 100% of most quality QUALITY PROTEINS
older adults either 18 g of EAAs or proteins we consume. Saying we Animal proteins like meats, eggs,
18 g of EAAs with 22 g of non- can only “absorb” 30g isn’t sup- and dairy are the best sources for
essential amino acids (40 g total in ported by a shred of evidence. The both building muscle and controlling
the second group). When they question that really needs answer- abdominal fat. Meat, poultry and
measured the effects of 18g EAAs ing is “what proportion of the amino especially some seafood are great
versus 18g EAAs plus 22g non- acids from that protein meal will sources of zinc. Legumes, cereals
essential AAs, there was no differ- retained by our muscle cells?” The and some vegetables contain a good
ence in the total amount of net answer to this question is “it dosage of zinc as well but again, the
protein synthesis (the process that depends”. phytates bind the zinc and signifi-
builds muscle). So despite getting Someone who weighs under 100 cantly impede absorption. So if
over twice as many amino acids, the pounds could probably live on 30g you’re just counting macros and
second group experienced the same of good-quality protein per day while tallying up those tofu burgers, your
muscle-building and breakdown a 350 lbs bodybuilder or athlete micronutrient intake will suffer.

000 MUSCLE & FITNESS

 Certain proteins have more
specific effects. Whey protein
decreases hunger and supports
muscle growth and repair better
than other proteins. Of course this is
probably because it has a higher
percentage of EAAs than any other
protein. It also has specific health
benefits like improving antioxidant
status, protecting liver function,
improving risk factors for heart and
vascular disease, and more.
As discussed in the introduction,
studies by some of the world’s top
protein researchers show that
spacing your protein intake too
much or not enough reduces its
muscle-building effects. Consuming
protein and certain amino acids
before, during, and after exercise
brings better results than eating the
same nutrients at other times.
Recent studies suggest that the
ideal protein intake for strength
athletes should probably include
eating every three-and-a-half to
four hours. Protein metabolism
research has found that protein
synthesis resulting from protein
intake is pulsatile - this means that
when you feed someone protein,
their cells react by turning up
protein synthesis, but after it is
turned on, continued protein
consumption won’t sustain muscle-
building activity for more than about
two hours, at which point this
activity ceases for a few hours
before it can be re-initiated again.
The recommendation to spread
protein feedings to 3.5 to four hours
allows the body to
build muscle for two hours, flick
off the muscle-building switch for
90 to 120 minutes, and then flick it
on again with another protein meal.
Your daily protein intake should be
split into approximately equal
portions each meal and consist of at
least 30 grams of quality protein
per serving (in males).
PROTEIN
CONCLUSION
So as you can see from the above,
because IIFYM ignores the potential
benefits and drawbacks of the
different characteristics of foods
within each macro category,
opportunities to improve recovery
and muscle mass are missed.
Furthermore, IIFYM takes no
account of nutrient timing, thus
missing another chance to improve
the response to exercise. The food
choices you make can affect every
aspect of your metabolism and each
food can have a different influence
in this respect. You can’t just treat
two foods the same because they’re
in the same macro category. And
just as when we try to influence the
metabolism with drugs, if you don’t
get the dosage and timing of each
food and supplement right, then by
definition, you won’t optimise the
way your body looks and performs.
So stick with mostly high-quality,
easily-absorbed proteins with good
amino acid profiles and get your
pre- and post-workout meals and
supplements right.
FAT
So with protein, it’s clear that
different foods in the same macro
category can have substantially
differing effects on body weight,
metabolism, lean muscle, fat mass
and health, and can contain varying
levels of essential nutrients. The
same is true of fat.
Fats exist in many forms - satu-
rated fats, trans fats, MCTs (medium cells will contain more saturated
chain triglycerides), CLA (conju-
gated linoleic acid) and omega-3s.
Some will know the distinctions
between mono and polyunsaturated cells has implications for how the
fats. Several of you will know that
certain essential fats are vital to
sustain health and even life itself. A
substantial role of fats in the diet is shown to increase the metabolic
their effects on the body’s cell
membranes, hormones and eicosa-
noids (signalling molecules). In fact, added bonus, healthy fats also
so great is the breadth of their
effects, that choosing the right
types of fats is probably as impor-
tant as choosing the best types of
protein. You may be thinking that
because you take extra omega-3s
and eat generally healthy fats that
there’s not much more you can do to
optimise your intake but actually,
there probably is.
When it comes to fat, more than
any other nutrient, you really “are
what you eat” because the type of
fat you eat largely dictates the type
of fat that gets stored in your body.
With proteins and carbohydrates it’s
slightly different: proteins are
broken down into amino acids but if
you consume too much of one
particular amino, your body burns
the excess for energy and or
excretes the excess. With carbs
(except for fibre and resistant
starch), the excess is ultimately
broken down into glucose, which is
then stored as glycogen. Once
glycogen stores are at capacity, the
excess is burned or a very small
amount may be stored as fat.
In contrast, your body can store
massive amounts of fat and the type
you eat determines to a great
extent, the type you store in your
body’s cells. So, needless to say, the
type of fat you eat is important.
Obviously, you should eat mostly
healthy fats—such as fish, olive, nut
and rapeseed oils—and your cells
will predominantly store these fats
and this will positively affect how
the cell functions. If you don’t eat
enough good fats or if you eat too
many carbs or unhealthy fats, your
and trans fats, along with the
associated negative effects.
Remember the kinds of fats in your
cells absorb nutrients and how they
function in general.
Several fats and oils have been
rate and/or shown to be less likely
to be stored as body fat. As an
reduce the risk of heart disease,
diabetes and cancer—the three
biggest killers in the Western world.
So along with minimising your intake
of sugars and starchy carbs, the
MUSCLE & FITNESS 000
best way to avoid adding excess
body fat and decreasing your odds
of contracting a chronic disease is
to make good choices when it comes
to fat.
GOOD FATS
You’d probably have to have been
living under a rock not to have heard
about studies on omega-3 fats,
which includes fish oil. It has been
associated with improving body
composition, decreasing inflamma-
tion and generally being healthy, but
it isn’t quite as simple as just eating
any source of omega-3, which
particular omega-3 you choose is
also vital. You see, omega-3s from
flax and other non-animal sources
are not the same as omega-3s from
fish or meat. Only animal sources
contain the long-chain fatty acids
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), while
alpha-linolenic acid (the omega-3
found in non-animal omega-3) isn’t
nearly as effective. That’s because
only a fraction of it is converted to
EPA and DHA, which are the forms
the body uses. This means you need
five to 10 times more plant-derived
omega-3s to get the equivalent
dosage of the long-chain EPAs and
DHAs as compared to consuming
fish oil. Compared with a highly-
concentrated fish oil product, the
equivalent dosage of plant oils
would be enormous and could steer
your calorie intake towards an
unbalanced amount of fat and an
excess of calories.
At the start of this Guide, we
discussed how polyunsaturated fat
has a greater effect on resting
metabolic rate versus typical
monounsaturated and saturated
fats. Then we looked at the rate of
oxidation (burning) of certain
monounsaturated fats and found
that they are burned up to a 14
times greater extent than certain
saturated fats. These are just two
examples of the huge diversity of
effects different fats can have on
our bodies.
000 MUSCLE & FITNESS
So choosing your fat macros
intelligently can obviously have a
significant effect on your physique.
Beyond our two initial examples,
there is a considerable body of
evidence concerning the difference
between fats when it comes to fat
loss. One study compared energy
expenditure (calorie burning/
thermogenesis) after subjects ate a
meal high in either olive oil (high in
the monounsaturated fat oleic acid),
sunflower oil (high in omega-6 fats)
or flaxseed oil (high in omega-3 fats)
and concluded that olive oil caused
the most calorie burning activity.
Other studies support this finding
that oleic acid is more likely to be
used for fuel
and less likely to be stored as fat.
One study found that people lost a
significant amount of weight and
even more body fat when saturated
fats were replaced by monounsatu-
rated fats in their diet. So it looks
like olive oil takes a close second to
fish oil and may be even better than
flax oil when you’re choosing which
fats to include in your diet to stay
lean.
SPECIALISED FATS
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) and
MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides)
are often sold as nutritional supple-
ments due to their unique effects on
metabolism. CLA is derived from
milk and beef and a certain form (the
trans 10/Cis12 isomers) has been
shown to have a modest effect on
weight loss and fat loss.
MCTs have been shown in multiple
studies to increase metabolic rate
and help with fat burning and body
composition. MCTs, because of their
shorter fatty acid chain lengths, are
absorbed faster than normal fats
and they can travel around the body
more efficiently because they don’t
require a carnitine carrier, as other
fats do. Moreover, they don’t get
stored as triglycerides, like most
other fats, meaning that they are
more likely to be burned for energy.
Interestingly, not only do MCTs
increase metabolic rate more than
other fats, research suggests that
they boost metabolism more than
olive oil.
Recently, a study looked at how
eating a combination of high
polyunsaturated fats, MCT oil and
CLA could improve health and
weight loss in humans and the result
was a significant increase in
calorie-burning. These results were
obtained by extracting and studying
actual muscle tissue samples (a
technique called biopsy). So actual
gene activity of the fat cells,
associated with the burning of
calories was analysed.
BAD FATS
Just as important as choosing the
right fats for you goals is avoiding
the wrong ones. This is something
that an IIFYM diet would completely
ignore. Probably the most notorious
“bad fat” is trans fat (or hydrogen-
ated fat). It has been shown to be
associated with increased body fat,
morbidity (illness) and mortality
(death). There is a small amount of
naturally-occurring trans fats in the
diet but the ones that cause prob-
lems are the artificial ones that can
occur in larger amounts in pro-
cessed foods. A trans fat is created
by adding hydrogen to an unsatu-
rated fat, thus essentially making it
a saturated fat. The advantage of
these fats is that they make food
crispy and crunchy, improve flavour
perception and prolong shelf life of
products, so despite their damaging
effects, they are very attractive to
food companies. We advise that
people almost totally avoid trans
fats - so less than one gram per day
and ideally virtually none. On the
positive side, many companies have
stopped using these fats due to
customer demand and/or legisla-
tion.
SATURATED FAT
For decades it has been blindly
accepted that fat in the diet was the
major contributor to obesity and
that saturated fats were even
worse. Since then, the evidence that
eating fat causes body fat gain has
been found to be totally lacking (a
massive literature review from the
Harvard School of Public Health
confirmed this way back in 2002).
More recently, the case against
saturated fat has fallen apart,
following a similarly authoritative
meta-analysis of the available
research. So not only do we have
several examples of fats with unique
effects on increasing or decreasing
body fat, metabolism and health,
but we also know that consuming a
certain minimum amount of satu-
rated fat improves the anabolic
hormonal profile. More specifically,
we know from several research
studies that increased fat and
saturated fat intake showed
increases in testosterone and levels
of the even more important “active”
free testosterone. It may also lower
estrogen levels. In consideration of
all of this, I generally recommend
that people consume 10% or more
of their calories (20-35 g) from satu-
rated fat per day and don’t overly-
restrict fat intake.
So as you can see from the
contrasting effects of different fats
on multiple important aspects of our
metabolism, just “hitting your
macros” and eating random types of
fat means you’re certainly missing a
trick when it comes to body compo-
sition, performance and
health. Overall, I would make a few
specific recommendations: Firstly,
before worrying too much about
your fat intake, start decreasing the
amount of sugars and starchy carbs
in your diet - do so in line with your
MuscleGenes Results and Recom-
mendations. Eat fatty fish 2-3 times
a week or take a high-strength,
mercury-free fish oil supplement
(with 250350 mg EPA and 150-
250 mg DHA) most days of the
week. You can use flaxseed in
moderation, as it may have certain
advantages that fish oil doesn’t but
only if you can handle the extra
calories. When adding fats to the
diet, focus on extra virgin olive oil,
rapeseed / canola oil and oils from
nuts and seeds - you can add them
to shakes or use with salads, bread
or toast. You can also try substitut-
ing some of your normal fats with
equivalent MCTs and CLA. Remem-
ber that you have to replace other
fats or calories in your diet with
MCTs and CLA—if you just add them
to your diet, without removing other
fats to compensate, you won’t get
the benefits. Don’t ever be afraid of
the fat in meats, eggs or butter in
order to hit your saturated fat
requirements and coconut oil is an
excellent source of saturated fat if
you need to add some in to hit your
intake numbers.
CARBS
Not surprisingly, as with the other
two main macros, eating the wrong
types of carbs at the wrong time can
spell disaster for your progress.
Some carbs are low-GI, with bounti-
ful amounts of nutrients and healthy
constituents, yet contribute very
few calories to the diet and are
excellent sources of fibre. These are
described as “nutrient-dense” carbs.
Other carbs are high-GI, low in
nutrients and high in calories and
are only appropriate at certain
times - known as “empty” carbs. So
if you choose too many of the latter
types of carbs at the wrong time
and too few of the nutrient-dense
carbs - because you are simply
trying to “hit your macros”, you’ll
decrease your chances of losing fat,
increase your odds of a deficiency of
one or more micronutrients and you
won’t be getting all of the other
healthy constituents of “good”
carbs.
Just as a little background on the
basics: it is important to know that
carbs are categorised as either
sugars or complex carbs. The sugars
can be monosaccharides (a single
sugar, for example glucose) or
disaccharides (two sugars attached
together, for example sucrose,
which is a glucose attached to a
fructose - also known as table sugar,
the stuff you put in your coffee).
Complex carbs are called polysac-
charides (several sugars attached
together) and fibre is a complex
carb that contributes few calories
to the diet because it can’t be
broken down completely by the
human digestive tract. Fibre helps
to control appetite and has multiple
health benefits.
The simplistic overview of carbs is
that sugars are absorbed quickly
and are only really appropriate
post-workout or during long work-
outs, or during “bulking” phases,
while complex carbs are digested
slowly. It is also generally accepted
that “fast” or “high GI” carbs are the
ones that will increase insulin levels,
which causes them to be stored as
fat. Complex carbs, on the other
hand are generally thought to be
digested slowly and as such, they
don’t stimulate as much insulin
release. But it’s not quite that
simple!
In fact, many so called “complex”
carbs actually have the same or a
higher GI than sugar - so that means
levels of blood sugar and insulin that
are usually associated with sugar
intake. Some of these “fast” com-
plex carbs include: potatoes, bread
(especially white bread), certain
types of rice, parsnips and malto-
dextrin. The other technically
incorrect assertion that we hear and
read all the time in this industry is
how excess carbs in the diet (and
especially sugar) are stored as fat.
In fact, the body doesn’t store
substantial amounts of carbs as fat.
This is true even when researchers
have fed people huge amounts of
carbs and carefully observed
exactly how they are metabolised
and where all of their molecules end
up! Even in these extreme situa-
tions, less than 10 percent of
excess carbs get stored as fat.
So since carbs aren’t really being
used as raw material to construct
body fat, it is presumably the peaks
MUSCLE & FITNESS 000
in the hormone insulin that actually
curtail fat burning (oxidation),
which tips the balance towards
storage and away from oxidation,
thus resulting in excess body fat.
One additional exceptional carb
that doesn’t conform to the general
rule that sugars have a high GI and
boost insulin, is fructose. It has a GI
of less than 20 compared to
glucose’s 100, although the latest
research suggests that it is almost
as bad as glucose when over-con-
sumed in the diet but for different
reasons. Fructose is known to
cause a substantial rise in blood
triglycerides and may not curtail
hunger as much as other sugars
and importantly, for guys who
exercise intensely, it doesn’t
restore muscle glycogen levels
nearly as effectively as other
sugars and carbs.
So again, just hitting your macro
targets for carbs ignores the
unique properties of each different
type of carb within this macro
category. In this case, it could leave
you with uncontrollable hunger and
no energy when it comes time to hit
the weights, run or sprint!
So now that we’ve cleared up
some of the notable exceptions to
the accepted wisdom of the
glycaemic index and seen how
carbs really lead to gains in body
fat, let’s look at some other unique
carbs most people following IIFYM
might forego.
SPECIAL CARBS
- FIBRE
Most people are familiar with fibre
and its benefits upon health,
hunger, and digestion, but there’s
actually more to it than that. In
addition to providing very few
calories to the diet, fibre is an
essential nutrient for the produc-
tion of “good” gut bacteria. This is
very important, as the human body
is home to trillions of bacteria
- particularly in the gut - and a large
and growing body of evidence is
showing that they have effects on
000 MUSCLE & FITNESS
everything from body fat levels, to
mood, to the foods we crave!
Most fibre helps support a good
gut bacteria, tilting the balance of
these bacteria towards a healthy
profile but research suggests the
most beneficial type of fibre for
achieving this is FOS (fructo
oligosaccharides). FOS is a prebi-
otic (not to be confused with
probiotics, the bacteria that can be
introduced to the gut through food
and supplements), which is essen-
tially a superfood for good bacteria.
The overall effect of FOS is to
increase numbers of good bacteria,
forcing down the numbers and
ratios of bad bacteria. Of great
importance to people trying to get
lean is that this new bacterial
profile, which can be fostered by
FOS, seems to be associated with
lower body fat levels. I’ve been
following this research quite
closely and it appears that altering
gut bacteria could be one of the
major methods of treating obesity
(and other diseases) in years to
come.
DOSAGE AND
SOURCES
For health and hunger control,
without overdoing things, try to
consume 25-45 g of fibre daily -
depending upon calorie intake and
body size. Sources of FOS include
chicory, onions, asparagus and
bananas but to get a more sub-
stantial dosage, you can buy it
cheaply in powered form. I would
advise gradually working your way
up to 2-5 grams intake daily but
that you should be careful exceed-
ing this amount, as this could
cause gut discomfort and bloating.
As far as other healthy sources of
fibre to include in your diet, foods
such as wholegrain rice (no, it
doesn’t have to be brown), brown
and especially rye bread, beans,
lentils, oats, wholegrain cereals,
nuts, seeds, peas and most
vegetables are good sources of
fibre.
HIGH-
PERFORMANCE
CARBS
Although glucose (dextrose) and
maltodextrin work quite well for
most people post-workout and to
replenish glycogen, waxy maize
starch has some unique properties
that you may want to consider. It is a
type of powdered complex carb
supplement, which can be derived
from corn, barley or potato. Being a
highly branched starch means
digestive enzymes break it down
incredibly fast, so that it doesn’t sit
in the gut long but gets rapidly
emptied from the stomach,
absorbed into the blood and cranks
up insulin and carbohydrate storage
as glycogen to a significantly
greater extent than other high-GI
carbs. The clinically tested version
(Vitargo) has been shown to have
faster absorption, be easier on the
gut, increase insulin more and
replenish glycogen to a greater
extent than other carbs. But again,
dextrose and maltodextrin are
arguably almost as good, and more
than adequate, as post-workout
carbs.
PHYTOCHEMICALS
The last consideration that could be
ignored by IIFYM dieters is con-
sumption of fruits and vegetables.
These are some of the healthiest
foods available in our diets and
should make up a substantial
portion of virtually every meal and
snack. Most of us know that they are
concentrated sources of fibre,
vitamins and minerals but they also
contain phytochemicals (“phyto”
meaning “plant”). These can have a
variety of effects on health but can
also affect the hormone profile, fat
loss, cellular damage, neuromuscu-
lar signalling, recovery, and repair.
Low starch vegetables have the
added advantage of being very
nutrient dense and having very few
calories per gram. They, therefore,
provide unmatched nutrition per
calorie, while keeping insulin levels
and appetite to a minimum. Good balance of synthesis and break- why you shouldn’t aim to simply “hit
examples of low-starch vegetables down towards net muscle growth), your macros”. Generally, carbs
include broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce,are least likely to be stored as fat consist of a massive variety of
celery, peppers, beans, cucumber, after a workout and most likely to plant-based foods, which can be
leeks, sprouts, cabbage, and most replenish glycogen but just don’t be nutrient dense or empty calories.
other green vegetables. Their under the illusion that huge dos- Some are appropriate only post-
unique nutritional profiles make ages of carbs will jack up protein workout, or in the morning or when
them ideal to eat all year round and synthesis. Generally, I recommend trying to gain size and some are
especially when dieting! using about 0.8 g per kg of body- appropriate as part of all most or all
weight of carbs in your post-work- meals. The key, takeaway message
CARB MISUSE out shake as a starting point and here is that carbs aren’t just a
Most athletes, bodybuilders and adjusting this amount up or down source of energy, but have a huge
fitness competitors know that they depending on your goals and which array of effects on the body that
need carbs after exercise to way the scale has been going. When must be properly considered and
restore lost glycogen, so they have dieting, you should always cut other implemented if your goal is to
adequate fuel for subsequent work- dietary carbs before cutting post maximise your health, performance
outs. These carbs also provide workout carbs. and appearance and these consid-
energy for the repair process and Pre-workout, have a moderate erations aren’t likely to be
stimulate insulin secretion, which carb meal three to five hours before addressed if you just IIFYM.
decreases protein breakdown you hit the gym (closer to five if
caused by heavy resistance you’re cutting and closer to three if
training. Insulin also increases bulking). Remember, the food you
uptake of amino acids and creatine eat between your workout and REFERENCES:
into the muscles. three hours prior to your workout Levitt NS, Vinik AI, Sive AA, Child PT,
However, it is important to know doesn’t actually provide additional Jackson WP.  The effect of dietary fiber on
that the key effect here, as far as energy during training. glucose and hormone responses to a
day-to-day use, is its effect on For those trying to gain muscle or mixed meal in normal subjects and in
decreasing protein breakdown, not struggling to put on weight, add diabetic subjects with and without
so much protein synthesis. The 25-30 g of dextrose/ glucose to 6 g autonomic neuropathy. Diabetes Care.
effect of post-workout insulin has of essential amino acids just prior 1980 Jul-Aug;3(4):515-9
been a source of controversy ever to lifting. This causes the highest van Marken Lichtenbelt WD, Mensink
since a study was published possible increase in intra-work- RP, Westerterp KR.  The effect of fat
showing that carbs/insulin aren’t out protein synthesis demon- composition of the diet on energy
required to get maximum muscle strated in scientific research. Ditch metabolism. Z Ernahrungswiss. 1997
growth from post-workout protein. the carbs if you’re trying to cut fat. Dec;36(4):303-5.
Despite what most gurus and In your other daily meals, choose Jones PJ, Pencharz PB, Clandinin MT. 
coaches tell you, the established non-starchy fruits and vegetables Whole body oxidation of dietary fatty
effect of insulin is to inhibit muscle to make up about a third of each acids: implications for energy utilization.
breakdown after exercise, not to meal and adjust starchy and (if Am J Clin Nutr. 1985 Nov;42(5):769-77.
increase protein synthesis. Insulin desired) sugary carbs upwards until Areta JL, Burke LM, Ross ML, Camera
builds muscle by curtailing catabo- you’re making gradual gains. For DM, West DW, Broad EM, Jeacocke NA,
lism (muscle breakdown) and only a those wanting to drop body fat, Moore DR, Stellingwerff T, Phillips SM,
tiny amount of insulin is required to gradually adjust starchy and Hawley JA, Coffey VG.  Timing and
allow maximum protein synthesis sugary carbs downwards. Regard- distribution of protein ingestion during
(muscle building). Any excess less of you goals, include a substan- prolonged recovery from resistance
insulin beyond that doesn’t have tial amount of vegetables and some exercise alters myofibrillar protein
any further effect on protein fruit with most meals or you risk synthesis. J Physiol. 2013 May 1;591(Pt
synthesis (unless you were to use creating one of the micronutrient 9):2319-31.
dangerously high levels of injected deficiencies we discussed earlier Troesch B, Hoeft B, McBurney M,
insulin). and you won’t be getting as much Eggersdorfer M, Weber P.  Dietary surveys
This is not to say that your fibre and phytochemicals. indicate vitamin intakes below recom-
post-workout meal shouldn’t be mendations are common in representa-
your highest in high-GI carbs CARB CONCLUSION tive Western countries. Br J Nutr. 2012
because the carbs still prevent So as with fats and protein, with Aug;108(4):692-8.
muscle breakdown (tilting the carbs, there are numerous reasons

MUSCLE & FITNESS 000