Primary uses of Carbohydrate
Energy provision.
Digestible carbohydrate, in whatever form consumed is ultimately broken down into its constituent monosaccharides and absorbed into the bloodstream via the liver.
The monosaccharides may be converted to glucose and used immediately as an energy (ATP) source via glycolysis, the TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. Alternatively, they will be stored (associated with water) as glycogen in both the liver and skeletal muscle.
This energy store can be quickly mobilised to supply the muscles and brain (which relies solely on glucose as its energy source).
The capacity for storing carbohydrate is limited when compared to the near limitless amounts of fat that can be stored in the body.
Therefore, if excess carbohydrate is consumed beyond the body’s needs, it will be transformed and stored as adipose tissue (fat).
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