To the average person metabolism equates to an ability to lose weight; and when weight loss is not achieved, metabolism is the excuse most often used. However metabolism, often coined the body’s furnace, is much more complex than the ability to drop a few pounds.
Nutritional Metabolic Process
The process of nutritional metabolism consists of a series of chemical reactions that facilitates the breakdown of macronutrients into micronutrients that the cells use to manufacture energy. Cellular energy provides the body with the fuel it needs to do everything from thinking about your next chess move to running in a 5-mile marathon race. If we stoke the furnace with the proper raw materials the outcome will be a healthy and well balanced body.
Digestion
Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats aremacronutrients found in foods and are the precursors to the fuel source needed to produce the type of energy (adenosine triphosphate-ATP) needed by our cells. The micronutrients that are processed from macronutrients during the digestive process are:
- Proteins > amino acids
- Carbohydrates > simple sugars
- Fats > fatty acids
The digestive process prepares all foods for transportation to the cells throughout the body. In the stomach are specialized substances called enzymes that breakdown the food we eat into their chemical components, which are then absorbed and transported to the cells. The energy is either used immediately or stored in places like the liver for later use.
Energy Production
The body uses the energy formed from either aerobic or anaerobic systems. Aerobic uses proteins, carbohydrates, and fats while anaerobic uses carbohydrates. The energy produced from either system is ATP.
There are several different types of energy and are found in the form of:
- Chemical energy which facilitates cellular reactions.
- Mechanical energy which facilitates muscle movement.
- Electrical energy which facilitates transmission of nerve impulses.
- Osmotic energy which results in ionic balance in the cells.
During metabolism cells are in a constant state of breaking down energy in one cell while rebuilding it in another cell. For example, energy is needed for our muscle cells to move: energy (ATP) is released, the muscle moves, now ATP is needed again in order for the muscle cell to be in a ready state for future action. To illustrate further:
A young man is running down the street to catch his dog. When the dog is finally caught, the young man is exhausted; his muscle cells have been exhausted of energy. He sits down to regain his strength, which basically means his muscles are refueling and capturing the energy released by the metabolism of food (fuel) from an earlier meal. This fuel is now being converted into ATP a form of energy that the cells can utilize. After an unspecified amount of time, as this will vary from person to person, he now has the strength (energy) to run back home with his dog.
Role of Energy
The energy formed by carbohydrates is used to maintain blood glucose. Blood glucose is the body's primary source of energy. The body's secondary source of energy comes in the form of fatty acids, however too much fat in the diet will result in fat storing rather than fat burning. The third source of energy comes from amino acids (protein). However this form of energy is only utilized by the body in times of starvation. Protein burning occurs in the muscle cells when the brain senses an emergency and if this type of burning contnues death will eventually occur.
In conclusion, understanding how metabolism works means a better understanding of how the body uses its energy to maintain a healthy body.
 |
