How is stored fat used for energy

The normal fat cell exists primarily to store energy. The body will expand the number of fat cells and the size of fat cells to accommodate excess energy from high-calorie foods. It will even go so far as to start depositing fat cells on our muscles, liver and other organs to create space to store all this extra energy from calorie-rich diets — especially when combined with a low activity lifestyle.

Historically, fat storage worked well for humans. The energy was stored as small packages of molecules called fatty acids, which are released into the bloodstream for use as fuel by muscles and other organs when there was no food available, or when a predator was chasing us. Fat storage actually conferred a survival advantage in these situations. Those with a tendency to store fat were able to survive longer periods without food and had extra energy for hostile environments.

But when was the last time you ran from a predator? In modern times, with an overabundance of food and safe living conditions, many people have accumulated an excess storage of fat. In fact, more than one-third of the adult population in the United States is obese. The major problem with this excess fat is that the fat cells, called adipocytes, do not function normally.

They store energy at an abnormally high rate and release energy at an abnormally slow rate. These hormones increase inflammation, slow down metabolism, and contribute to disease.

How on earth does this happen? Smaller amounts of energy are stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen. When you diet , you take in fewer calories than your body needs.

Because of this deficit, your body turns to fat reserves for energy. Your muscles first burn through stored glycogen for energy. They also recommend weightlifting and resistance training. Increasing muscle mass may help you burn more calories and raise your basic metabolic rate. When weight disappears, the fat has to go somewhere.

The body uses three main nutrients to function— carbohydrate , protein , and fat. These nutrients are digested into simpler compounds. Carbohydrates are used for energy glucose. Fats are used for energy after they are broken into fatty acids. Protein can also be used for energy, but the first job is to help with making hormones, muscle, and other proteins.

Broken down into amino acids , used to build muscle and to make other proteins that are essential for the body to function. Broken down into fatty acids to make cell linings and hormones. Extra is stored in fat cells.

After a meal, the blood sugar glucose level rises as carbohydrate is digested. This signals the beta cells of the pancreas to release insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin helps glucose enter the body's cells to be used for energy. If all the glucose is not needed for energy, some of it is stored in fat cells and in the liver as glycogen. As sugar moves from the blood to the cells, the blood glucose level returns to a normal between-meal range. When the blood sugar level falls below that range, which may happen between meals, the body has at least three ways of reacting:.