Primary Storage Form Of Carbs In Body

Energy is essential for survival. Every cell in the human body depends on the fuel it is able to reproduce to drive all chemical reactions for life. Carbohydrates and fat are the primary sources of food energy. Carbs are the easiest for the body to break down, with one gram containing four calories to fat's nine calories. Because it is so precious, the body stores excess carbs to ensure their availability in times of need.

Biology

When you eat excess carbs, your body stores the unused carbs as glycogen in the muscles and liver. The body then taps these reserves when blood sugar levels fall below normal. The brain, for example, totally depends on carbs and glycogen stores for energy. When stress or activity such as exercise deplete circulating blood sugar, a hormone called glucagon is released from the pancreas to stimulate the liver to break down its stores of glycogen. Conversely, insulin stimulates the storage of excess carbs after eating.

Benefits

The primary benefit of stored carbs is having energy available for activity or fight-or-flight situations. This survival mechanism is not unlike savings in the bank. When circumstances force it, your body has energy to act. It also allows you to act quickly, rather than wait for the body to metabolize a meal to get fuel. The body burns fat primarily during low- to moderate-intensity exercise. During vigorous workouts, carbs provide a source of energy that the body can more easily break down because they are less complex from a chemical perspective. Storing carbs ensures the flow of energy.

Carb Advantage

When your body breaks down carbs, it produces energy more efficiently than other sources, especially when adequate oxygen is available to drive these chemical reactions. Using carbs in the presence of oxygen yields 36 or 38 molecules of ATP, the energy currency of the body. During strenuous exercise, the breakdown of carbs and the release of stored carbs provide the most energy.

Storage Capacity

The body can store about 2,000 calories of stored carbs, with an upper limit of about 7 g per pound of body weight. A 150-lb. person, for example, can have carb reserves of about 1,050 g, or about 4,200 calories. Diet, lifestyle and individual biological differences account for the variations in the amount of carbs stored. According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010," your diet should consist of about 45 to 65 percent of calories from carbs. Depending on what you use, the remainder forms your carb reserves.