Metabolic fuel utilization during starvation follows a distinct temporal sequence driven by energy store depletion and substrate availability to maintain cerebral function. The core principle dictates that glycogen serves as the primary fuel for up to 24 hours, hepatic gluconeogenesis utilizing lactate and alanine functions between days one and three, free fatty acids become predominant after day three via ketone production, and protein catabolism becomes necessary only after approximately seven days. This theory operates within human physiological biochemistry as a regulatory mechanism prioritizing the metabolic demands of the brain and erythrocytes under caloric deprivation conditions.
Metabolic fuel utilization during starvation follows a distinct temporal sequence driven by energy store depletion and substrate availability to maintain cerebral function. The core principle dictate…