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11.8: Storing Excess Calories

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    57635
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    What happens when we take in more energy-providing nutrients than we need? In other words, what happens to those excess calories when we eat too much? This was discussed in Chapter 2, but most of us know from personal experience that the excess is stored as body fat.

    The body does this by using some of the same chemical reactions that break down carbohydrates, protein, and fat. But as can be seen by comparing Figures 11-3 and 11-5, acetyl CoA and fatty acids are diverted from the aerobic core of energy production to energy storage (formation of triglycerides). It’s clear from Figure 11-5 that we can become fat from excess calories, whether the excess calories come from carbohydrate, protein, or fat.


    This page titled 11.8: Storing Excess Calories is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Judi S. Morrill via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.