The Body 's Energy From Four Key Fuels

carbohydrates in the form of sugars and starches, it is digested and circulated through the blood stream as a simple sugar. If the glucose is not used immediately for energy, it will go into storage as glycogen in the liver and muscles. When these glycogen stores are filled, the excess glucose is stored as fat. As exercise continues, and more energy is needed, glycogen breaks down to

Ketosis is the metabolic state that most of the body's energy supply comes from ketone bodies in the blood, contrasting to the state of glycolysis in which blood glucose provides most of the energy (Taubes, 2011, 140-141). Ketosis might be better known as acetone breath, a common symptom of progressing diabetes mellitus type. It is characterized by serum concentrations of ketone bodies, with low and stable levels of insulin and blood glucose. It is commonly generalized with hyper-ketonemia, which is an elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood throughout the body. Ketone bodies are formed by ketogenesis as the liver glycogen stores are depleted (Taubes, 2011, p.155). The ketone bodies used for energy are acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate, with that, the levels of ketone bodies are regulated mainly by glucagon and insulin (p.156). Most cells can then be used by both glucose and ketone bodies for fuel, and during ketosis, free fatty acids and glucose synthesis fuel the rest.

... If carbohydrate in the diet is restricted, a person's ability to exercise is compromised because there is not enough glycogen kept in storage to fuel the body.The three main nutrients used for energy are carbohydrates, protein, and fats, with carbohydrates being the most important source. Your body can also use protein and fats for energy when carbs have been depleted. When you eat, your body breaks down nutrients into smaller components and absorbs them to use as fuel. If your feeling drowsy or really tired during the day you might have low iron or low on nutrition.

The concept of energy intake and expenditure refers to the amount of calories per day that an individual consumes, and is the chemical energy in foods which can be metabolized to produce energy available to the body. As stated before energy is obtained from the foods we eat and is used to support an individual’s Basal Metabolic Rate, energy is measured in calories or joules as both units are very small they are multiplied by 1,000 and referred to as kilocalories. Different foods provide us with different amounts of energy, and the potential fuel sources available to exercising muscles are fats – 1 gram fat =9.0kcal = 23kJ,

People who exercise more will have different diets to those who do not exercise. Carbohydrates are very important for athletes as it provides fuel. Carbohydrate is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles, and released when needed during exercise. It is easily broken down to provide energy. The other source of energy is fat, but this cannot be converted into energy as quickly as glycogen.

Starvation results in a series of devastating events that can ultimately lead to death. When a person eats, the body extracts needed nutrients for cellular maintenance and repair. This requires energy which is provided for by the metabolism of the food. If we consume more than what is required at that time, our body stores the excess as adipose tissue or fat. This fat serves as a reserve of potential energy in times of a

In humans/animals, the main cells that store fat for energy are adipocytes. These fat cells are found under the skin, in the abdominal cavity and surround major organs. The fatty tissue is the body’s main means of storing energy for long periods of time. Lipids, like triglycerides are stored in the adipocytes until ready to be used by the body for energy. Fat is broken down through metabolism in the mitochondria of the cell. The triglycerides are broken down into glycerol and 3 fatty acids. The glycerol can be easily converted to glyceraldehyde 3 phosphate, an intermediate of glycolysis. From there it can go through the Krebs Cycle and electron transport chain to make ATP. The 3 fatty acids can be broken

The body’s primary source of energy comes from carbohydrates. When there are not enough carbohydrates to burn for energy the body looks for fat for energy. Fat is broken down in the liver for energy which in turn produces an acid called ketones in a process called ketosis. (Capmbell, 2015). As the liver continues to make ketones the pH level of the blood lowers, becoming more acidic. As we learned

The human body gets its energy from two (2) main sources: by burning carbs and fats. Both are controlled by the insulin. Popular diets would frequently recommend cutting carbs or

Carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of energy. Without adequate carbohydrates, a person may feel fatigued and weak, as the body looks elsewhere for sources of energy. A severe lack of carbohydrates can deprive critical bodily organs the necessary energy to properly function. Lipids are naturally occurring organic compounds that include fats and oils. An excess of some lipids can increase the chances of certain health problems, lipids are vital nutrients to a healthy body. Lipids are necessary for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins. A diet too low on lipids lowers the level of good cholesterol, decreases the body’s energy level and can disturb the body’s formation of cells and cell functions.

body. Unused energy is turned into fat that leads to increased sugar levels in our body. The blood sugar level is

If an individual consume high quantity of energy from the diet, mainly from fat and sugars, however do not burn off the energy through activities or physical exercises, majority of surplus energy is then stored by the body known as fat.

An inadequate amount of the hormone insulin that the body requires to enable the cells to use the glucose as energy triggers the breakdown of fatty acids for energy use by cells leading to increased formation of acids called ketones in blood and urine.

Ketosis is a metabolic state where the liver produces organic molecules known as ketone bodies. Technically, the term ketone denotes an organic molecule where a carbon atom, sandwiched between two other carbon atoms, is double-bonded to an oxygen atom (Peter Attia, 2014). To reach this state the body must deplete all glucose stores including those in the liver. This can be accomplished through periods of fasting or through intake of high fat and minimal carbohydrates and sugars. Both sugars and carbohydrates are converted to glucose for the body to burn as energy or ATP. When the body is starved of glucose it must switch gears in order to continue its existence. This switch of gears is what followers of the ketogenic diet call fat assimilation. The human body under the realization that there are no stores of glucose for energy asks the liver to create ketone bodies. Those ketone bodies use lipids or fat for energy. This is the greatest benefit for dieters since the goal for most is to lose weight through fat loss.

When insulin is at high levels in the body, the food you eat can readily get converted into body fat, in the form of triglycerides. Thus, if lower amounts of carbohydrates are consumed, the body naturally produces less insulin and looks to other sources for fuel, namely FAT! For this reason, the Atkins diet restricts processed and refined carbohydrates and limits intake to 15-60 grams per day, encouraging protein and fat consumption (http://www.ivillage.com/diet/features/dietsaz). When the body lacks its primary energy source (carbohydrates) it will naturally turn to its next source (fat) to burn for energy. When the body breaks down fat, ketones are formed and the appetite is naturally suppressed. One reaches ketosis when his or her carbohydrate intake is less than 40 grams per day. The average person not on this diet consumes 300+ grams of carbohydrates per day.