METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY AS AN ADAPTATION TO ENERGY RESOURCES

AND REQUIREMENTS IN HEALTH DISEASES

Submitted by:

Glydel Jean V. Macalam

Under the Instruction of

Mrs. Gina Barbosa

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

OF BIOCHEMISTRY (CHY 47)
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING
CENTRAL MINDANAO UNIVERSITY

October 12, 2022

 The prevalence of chronic diseases, particularly among obese people, is rising and is one
of the significant contributors to the global public health crisis; as a result, metabolic syndrome
develops. Insulin resistance occurs in the majority of metabolic syndrome sufferers. It is clear that
obesity, which is frequently present in persons with metabolic syndrome, makes it harder for the
body's cells to respond to insulin. Imagine that the body cannot produce enough insulin to
overcome the resistance, resulting in type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, this is where the significance
of metabolic flexibility comes into play. It can improve our capacity to utilize various fuel sources,
which has multiple advantages for our general health and well-being. The primary focus of this
work is on metabolic flexibility as an adaptation to energy sources and requirements in health
disorders and its advantages that may improve people's lives.

Worldwide, it is becoming increasingly clear that one of the factors contributing to the
occurrence of indispositions may be the presence of metabolic syndrome, which is most likely to
occur in obese individuals. Heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes risk factors increase by a
group of disorders known as metabolic syndrome. These problems include high blood sugar, high
blood pressure, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels
(Metabolic Syndrome - Symptoms and Causes, 2021). Numerous experts contend that the rising
incidence of obesity is driving the rise in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Fatty tissue in
obese people is insulin resistant, which increases non esterified heavy acid levels, worsens insulin
resistance in muscles, and alters hepatic metabolism (Grundy et al., 2005). Indeed, our bodies
are prone to metabolic mistakes in such circumstances. The body requires a variety of proteins
and amino acids to perform all of its functions. For instance, the brain requires lipids (fats and
oils) to sustain a healthy neurological system and calcium, potassium, and sodium to produce
electrical impulses (Rice, 2018). The ability of the human body to adapt to these variations has
given it the capacity to control energy metabolism for the best substrate storage and use during
times of food abundance or famine, times of rest, or times of greater energy demand. Metabolic
flexibility is the capacity to effectively change metabolism based on need or supply (Olson et al.,
2016). As the name suggests, Metabolic flexibility is the capacity to match fuel oxidation to fuel
availability—or switch between burning carbs and burning fat. Individuals with a very flexible
metabolism can consume carbohydrates and burn them off. Amino, fatties, and carbohydrates
may all generally be consumed in moderate amounts by the human body. The unprecedented
availability of food defines the modern era. As a result of substrate competition and metabolic
insensitivity, which are manifesting by distorted nutrient sensing, blunted substrate switching, and
poor energy homeostasis, continued consumption of calorie-dense processed foods, along with
inactivity, directly reduces desire and constricts metabolic flexibility. Importantly, this metabolic
stiffness may be the cause of the epidemic changes in metabolic illnesses that are affecting all
demographic groups (Global Nutrition Report 2016 From Promise to Impact Ending Malnutrition
by 2030, 2016).

The more well-known concept of metabolic flexibility was proposed to explain why insulin
resistance occurs when the body changes from a fasting state to a fed state or from a fasted state
to insulin stimulation. The idea of metabolic flexibility, which put mitochondrial activity at its center,
was explicitly related to the ability of mitochondria to choose fuel in response to dietary
changes. Later, metabolic flexibility rapidly grew to include a system's (whole-body, organ, single
cell, or organelle) capacity to handle particular nutrients. The arrangement of metabolic pathways
that control nutrient sensing, absorption, transport, storage, and utilization is crucial for metabolic
flexibility at the molecular level. Critical proteins in metabolic circuits or enzymes with large
metabolic fluxes are synthesized, degraded, or have their activity regulated, mediating this
metabolic structure (Metabolic Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment, n.d.).
However, the metabolic problems linked to obesity can be mitigated by measures that lower body
weight as little as possible. Improved metabolic regulation of fasting glucose, cholesterol/high-
density lipoprotein ratio, triglycerides, and diastolic blood pressure is associated with decreased
visceral adipose tissue. Exercise training and moderate calorie restriction are the cornerstones of
lifestyle interventions used to reduce body weight that could give an impact aiming for a healthy
wellness.

Cells' principal energy sources are produced through the metabolic conversion process. Following
a meal, triglycerides from fat are stored in adipose tissue and used as energy. Triglycerides are
converted into fatty acids and glycerin during fasting to give power. The liver then transforms fatty
acids into ketone bodies, which are many tissues' primary energy sources, particularly the brain,
for voluntary body functions (de Cabo & Mattson, 2019). The most effective way to understand
metabolic flexibility is probably as a system of interconnected parts that controls energy
requirements and resources in health and sickness (Chen, 2016). Our body requires energy to
operate constantly. The primary energy source for our bodies is food, which is broken down into
various molecules and nutrients during digestion and then transformed into energy. How our body
uses that energy to maintain regular functioning depends on our metabolism (Klepchukova,
2022). For intervention methods to be effective, it is crucial to identify the key determinants of
metabolic flexibility. These techniques not only reduce metabolic rigidity but also have the
potential to extend longevity and health (Smith, 2018).
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