Glycogen is a molecule stored in animal cells and broken down into glucose for energy. It is less efficient than fatty acids, but important for the brain and regulating blood glucose levels. Athletes can deplete their glycogen stores during endurance activities, and some people have genetic conditions affecting glycogen creation and storage.
Glycogen is a polysaccharide molecule stored in animal cells together with water and used as an energy source. When it is broken down in the body, it is transformed into glucose, an important source of energy for animals. In animals it plays a role similar to that played by starch in plants. Much research has been done on this molecule and its role in the body since it has been recognized as a key part of the body’s energy storage system.
Animals obtain this molecule from carbohydrates, producing it in the liver, muscles and digestive tract during the digestion process. Glycogen is stored in muscle tissue and the liver, with levels tending to peak soon after a meal. In humans, the body can store approximately 2,000 kilocalories of it at any given time. When people eat, levels are refreshed, with the body working to keep the amount as stable as possible so there’s a constant supply of energy.
Storage of this molecule is less efficient than that of fatty acids, which may lead some to wonder why the body doesn’t store all energy in that form. There are several reasons why animals engage in glycogen storage despite questionable efficiency. The first is that the brain needs glucose, so it requires energy reserves that will meet its needs. The second is that this molecule is used to regulate blood glucose levels between meals.
Athletes can experience a situation where their reserves are depleted. This occurs in endurance activities, where the body slowly uses up its stores over the course of an event such as a marathon. When this point is reached, it is sometimes referred to as “hitting the wall,” due to the effort it puts on the body. The size and condition of the lifter affect when he will hit the wall. Athletes try to avoid this by loading up on carbohydrates before events and also eat fast after events to rebuild their stores.
Some people have conditions known as glycogen storage diseases. Such conditions are usually genetic in nature, caused by problems with the genes that regulate the process of its creation and storage. People may also have trouble breaking the molecule down into glucose. Individuals with these conditions can experience a wide variety of health problems, depending on the type of disease they have and how early it is identified.
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