Question

What is the body's preferred respiratory substrate?

Answer 1

Respiration:

1. Respiration is the biochemical process that involves the conversion of absorbed food into energy.
2. This is achieved by the breakdown of glucose into pyruvate in the cytosol.
3. The pyruvate is further broken down either in the presence or absence of oxygen to yield energy along with other products.

Respiratory substrate:

1. These are the nutrients that are oxidized during respiration where the organic nutrients are oxidized to form ATP which provides energy.
2. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are the macronutrients that act as respiratory substrates.
3. The body's most preferred substrate is glucose which is the simpler form of carbohydrate.