Ketones, explained
DAM5412
Posts: 660 Member
I learn something every day and today I read this and thought, oh, now I really get it!
"Ketones?
Ketones are incompletely burned carbon fragments. The very fact that they are less efficient as fuel is what makes them give you that 'metabolic advantage.' Some of the calories burned are not used to their full capacity... hence the person can eat more calories when in ketosis than when not, and still lose the same amount of weight.
Ketoacids are short (four carbons long.) It's important because in that way they are able to penetrate cells to feed them when there is no glucose present. The fat stores accumulate fat as very long fatty acids. They're ordinarily difficult to break down because they're so long.
When the body must use its fat stores for energy (our goal to lose weight), these fat cells begin to release the long fatty acids into the blood.
To be used as fuel, particularly by the brain, the fatty acids go to the liver where they are literally cut into two carbon fragments (ketoacids.)
They are then utilized (burned) by many tissues, including the brain. The brain operates just as well on a diet of ketoacids as it does on glucose. What's left (the incompletely burned fragments) are called ketones, and they are what spill into the urine to be swept from the body.
So in a nutshell...
When the body is in the fat burning state — where it has no carbohydrate to burn and is breaking down body fat for fuel, the body is in a state of ketosis-lipolysis (ketosis for short.) This is the only metabolic pathway for fat breakdown (lipolysis.) Therefore, there is no lipolysis without ketosis, no ketosis without lipolysis. The two terms are biologically linked and, therefore, it is appropriate that they be linguistically linked.
So being in ketosis simply means that you're burning your fat stores and using them as the source of fuel they were meant to be. "
"Ketones?
Ketones are incompletely burned carbon fragments. The very fact that they are less efficient as fuel is what makes them give you that 'metabolic advantage.' Some of the calories burned are not used to their full capacity... hence the person can eat more calories when in ketosis than when not, and still lose the same amount of weight.
Ketoacids are short (four carbons long.) It's important because in that way they are able to penetrate cells to feed them when there is no glucose present. The fat stores accumulate fat as very long fatty acids. They're ordinarily difficult to break down because they're so long.
When the body must use its fat stores for energy (our goal to lose weight), these fat cells begin to release the long fatty acids into the blood.
To be used as fuel, particularly by the brain, the fatty acids go to the liver where they are literally cut into two carbon fragments (ketoacids.)
They are then utilized (burned) by many tissues, including the brain. The brain operates just as well on a diet of ketoacids as it does on glucose. What's left (the incompletely burned fragments) are called ketones, and they are what spill into the urine to be swept from the body.
So in a nutshell...
When the body is in the fat burning state — where it has no carbohydrate to burn and is breaking down body fat for fuel, the body is in a state of ketosis-lipolysis (ketosis for short.) This is the only metabolic pathway for fat breakdown (lipolysis.) Therefore, there is no lipolysis without ketosis, no ketosis without lipolysis. The two terms are biologically linked and, therefore, it is appropriate that they be linguistically linked.
So being in ketosis simply means that you're burning your fat stores and using them as the source of fuel they were meant to be. "
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Replies
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well said.
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I love learning about this stuff, and hearing other peoples thoughts. You could also be burning dietary fat (i believe), depending on your overall intake versus expenditure. Burn baby burn.0
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It has to be that way, or a person would die very easily/soon if they weren't able to eat for a day or so. Even a normal weight person can water fast for 40 days or more on just the fat reserves they have. Fatter people can last for months. God designed our bodies very well. Thank God!0
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Wow..that's interesting. Thanks for the sciency explaination.0
