What approximate percentages of carbohydrate fat and protein are recommended to be consumed in the daily diet?

1. Broad EM, Cox GR. What is the optimal composition of an athlete’s diet? Eur J Sport Sci. 2008;8(2):57–65. [Google Scholar]

2. Kerksick C, Harvey T, Stout J, Campbell B, Wilborn C, Kreider R. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Nutrient timing. J Internat Soc Sports Nutr. 2008;5:17–28. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

3. Willoughby DS, Stout JR, Wilborn CD. Effects of resistance training and protein plus amino acid supplementation on muscle anabolism, mass, and strength. Amino Acids. 2007;32:467–77. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

4. Kreider RB, Wilborn CD, Taylor L, Campbell B, Almanda AL, Collins R. et al. ISSN exercise & sport nutrition review: research & recommendations. J Internat Soc Sports Nutr. 2010;7:7–49. [Google Scholar]

5. Sundgot-Borgen , Torstveit MK. Aspects of disordered eating continuum in elite high-intensity sports. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2010;20(2):112–21. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

6. Kreider RB. Physiological considerations of ultraendurance performance. Int J Sport Nutr . 1991;1(1):3–27. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

7. Burke LM, Slater G, Broad EM, Haulka J, Modulon S, Hopkins WG. Eating patterns and meal frequency of elite Australian athletes. Internat J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 13:1–19. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

8. Brown EC, DiSilvestro RA, Babaknia A, Devor ST. Soy versus whey protein bars: Effects on exercise training impact on lean body mass and antioxidant status. Nutr J. 3:22–6. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

9. Tarnopolsky MA. Building muscle: nutrition to maximize bulk and strength adaptations to resistance exercise training. Eur J Sport Sci. 2008;8(2):67–76. [Google Scholar]

10. Kreider RB, Earnest CP, Lundberg J, Rasmussen Ch, Greenwood M, Cowan P. et al. Effects of ingesting protein with various forms of carbohydrate following resistance- exercise on substrate availability and markers of anabolism, catabolism, and immunity. J Internat Soc Sports Nutr. 2007;4:18–28. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

11. Tipton KD. Protein for adaptations to exercise training. Eur J Sport Sci . 2008;8(2):107–18. [Google Scholar]

12. Lowery L, Forsythe CE. Protein and overtraining: potential applications for free-living athletes. J Internat Soc Sports Nutr. 2006;3(1):42–50. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

13. Phillips SM. Protein requirements and supplementation in strength sports. Nutrition. 2004;20:689–95. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

14. Hulmi JJ, Lockwood ChM, Stout JR. Effect of protein/essential amino acids and resistance training on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: a case for whey protein. Nutr Metab. 2010;7:51. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

15. Morifuji M, Ishizaka MI, Baba S, Fukuda K, Matsumoto H, Koga J. et al. Comparison of different sources and degrees of hydrolysis of dietary protein: Effect on plasma amino acids, dipeptides, and insulin responses in human subjects. J Agric Food Chem. 2010;58(15):8788–97. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

16. Manninen AH. Protein hydrolysates in sports nutrition. Nutr Metab. 2009;6:38–42. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

17. Paddon-Jones D, Westman E, Mattes RD, Wolfe RR, Astrup A, Westerterp-Plantenga M. Protein, weight management, and satiety. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;87:1558–61. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

18. Hulmi JJ, Kovanen V, Selanne H, Kraemer WJ, Hakkinen K, Mero AA. Acute and long-term effects of resistance exercise with or without protein ingestion on muscle hypertrophy and gene expression. Amino Acids. 2009;37:297–308. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

19. Petroczi A, Naughton DP, Mazanov J, Holloway A, Bingham J. Performance enhancement with supplements: incongruence between rationale and practice. J Internat Soc Sports Nutr. 2007;4:19–26. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

20. Varga Zs. Az omega-3 tobbszorosen telitetlen zsirsavak az atherosclerosis megelozeseben. Orv Hetil. 2008;149(14):627–37. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

21. Stoppani J, Scheett T, Pena J, Rudolph Ch, Charlebois D. Consuming a supplement containing branched-chain amino acids during a resistance-training program increases lean mass, muscle stranght and fat loss. J Internat Soc Sports Nutr. 2009;6(1):1–2. [Google Scholar]

22. Holecek M, Muthny T, Kovarik M, Sispera L. Effect of beta- hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) on protein metabolism in whole body and in selected tissues. Food Chem Toxicol. 2009;47:255–9. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

23. Zanchi NE, Gerlinger-Romero F, Guimaraes-Ferreira L, de Siqueira Filho MA, Felitti V, Lira FS. et al. HMB supplementation: clinical and athletic performance-related effects and mechanisms of action. Amino Acids. 2010. Online First. Doi: 10.1007/s00726-010-0678-0. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

24. Vieillevoye S, Poortmans JR, Duchateau J, Carpentier A. Effects of a combined essential amino acids/carbohydrate supplementation on muscle mass, architecture and maximal strength following heavy-load training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010;110(3):479–88. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

25. Goston JL, Correia MITD. Intake of nutritional supplements among people exercising in gyms and influencing factors. Nutrition. 2010;26:604–11. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

By Lisa Maloney Updated December 06, 2018

Many modern nutrition plans give you macronutrient percentages to aim for – for example, 50 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fats and 20 percent protein – instead of strict kilocalorie goals or grams. But most nutrition labeling tells you your carbohydrate intake in terms of grams. A few simple calculations make it easy to reconcile your carbohydrate intake in grams with your goal percentage of total kilocalories consumed.

If you're serious about tracking what percentage of your diet is made up of carbohydrates, that starts with tracking how many kilocalories or grams of carbohydrates you consume. Either unit works, but if you're tracking your carbohydrates by grams, you'll need to perform an extra step in the conversion to percentages.

2. If you're tracking your carbohydrate intake by the gram, multiply that number by 4 to convert it into kilocalories/gram. (Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 kilocalories of energy.) If you already know your carbohydrate intake in kilocalories, you can skip this step.

3. So, if you consumed 275 grams of carbohydrates today, that would be:

4. 275 grams × 4 kilocalories/gram = 1100 kilocalories

6. Divide the kilocalories of carbohydrates you've consumed (the result from Step1) by your total daily caloric intake. If you don't know how many calories you actually consumed in a given day, your daily goal will still give you a rough idea of your consumed carbohydrate percentage.

7. To continue the example, imagine that you're a healthy woman between the ages of 19 and 30, in which case a daily target of 2,000 kilocalories is very common. So dividing the result of Step 1 by that 2,000-kilocalorie target gives you:

10. Multiply the result from Step 2 by 100 to convert it to a percentage:

12. So, you've consumed 55 percent of today's kilocalorie target in carbohydrates.

Are you unsure of what your daily carbohydrate percentage should be? According to 2015-2020 dietary guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the following macronutrient ranges help ensure a healthy body:

• Protein: 4 to 30 percent, depending on age
  
• Carbohydrate: 45 to 65 percent
  
• Fat: 25 to 40 percent, depending on age
  

These are known as the acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges or AMDRs, and they're the ideal place to start if you're looking for guidance on what percentage of your diet should be made up of carbohydrates. Note that the carbohydrate intake from the example – 55 percent – falls squarely into the recommended range.

Lisa is a retired personal trainer with more than 4,000 hours of hands-on experience working with a variety of clients, from sports teams to weight loss and post-rehab populations. She's also a professional writer. Published credits in the health field include Livestrong.com, Feel Rich, SheKnows, Precor.com, and the East Coast magazine Breathe.