Glucose metabolism is a term that describes the way your body absorbs glucose, or sugar, from food sources and uses it to perform various internal functions. The efficiency of glucose metabolism in your body has marked effects on the energy levels in your cells and determines whether or not you develop the blood glucose disease called diabetes.
Glucose Absorption
You get glucose from foods that contain carbohydrates, according to professor Richard A. Bowen of Colorado State University. When you digest these foods, their glucose content is extracted in your small intestine and absorbed into your bloodstream. When significant amounts of glucose accumulate in your blood, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that regulates blood glucose by telling cells throughout your body to allow glucose to pass from your bloodstream into their interiors. Examples of cells that respond to insulin's chemical messages include muscle and fat cells. Once inside these cells, glucose acts as a major source of basic cellular energy.
Liver Activities
Insulin in your bloodstream also allows your body to store glucose that is not immediately needed for cellular function, Bowen explains. It does this by chemically signaling your liver to convert excess glucose into a substance called glycogen, which your liver then stores for later use. Once your liver accumulates a certain amount of glycogen, it converts any remaining glucose into substances called fatty acids. In turn, these fatty acids serve as the building material for substances called lipoproteins, which form the basis for various types of cholesterol. Lipoproteins broken apart in your bloodstream also form the basis of blood-borne fats called triglycerides.
Glycogen Conversion
As blood glucose levels fall, your pancreas slows insulin production to a trickle, according to EndocrineWeb. When your blood glucose falls low enough during exercise or between meals, your pancreas releases another hormone, called glucagon, which chemically signals your liver to reconvert glycogen back into glucose. It also tells your liver and muscles to create additional glucose from sources such as amino acids. This glucose is then secreted back out into your bloodstream. When glucose levels become high enough, your pancreas releases insulin and the blood glucose cycle begins again.
Normal Glucose Range
Your body likes to keep blood glucose---and therefore your body's energy supplies---in a relatively narrow range, EndocrineWeb reports. Normal values for blood glucose fall in a range between 70 and 110 milligrams per deciliter of blood. Values below 70 mg/dL indicate the presence of a condition called low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. Values above 110 mg/dL may indicate the presence of high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, although your blood glucose may safely range as high as 180 mg/dL after a meal. If your blood glucose reaches higher than 200 mg/dL during proper testing, you have diabetes.
Insulin Irregularities
If your body does not produce enough insulin for proper glucose metabolism, you have Type 1 diabetes, notes Colorado State's Bowen. If you produce enough insulin, but your body does not respond to it properly, you have Type 2 diabetes. Your body can also secrete too much insulin, resulting in dangerous drops in blood glucose. This condition is called hyperinsulinemia.
