Metabolic advantage (MA): theoretical boost in energy expenditure induced by a diet. Some studies show it exists, others don’t. In any case, ask any keto proponent about MA and they’ll surely say something like, “if it exists, gluconeogenesis (GNG) may be one of the main drivers.”
I can get behind that because GNG is an energetically expensive process and is likely increased when you’re not eating carbs. Ie, keto.
Disclaimer: this may be another demonstration of how nutritional ketosis isn’t muscle sparing.
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[sorry for the poor image quality, here’s the source for a better version]
This brings us to the relevance of substrate. In general, the main gluconeogenic substrates are glycerol (from adipose), lactate (from glucose metabolism), and amino acids (eg, alanine & glutamine from skeletal muscle).
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If we’re doing more GNG, we need more GNG substrate/precursors.
Lactate: the contribution of lactate to GNG doesn’t even budge during prolonged starvation, in a #context when we’re trying to do anything & everything to preserve GNG precursors… boring.
Next up: glycerol, then amino acids (it’s good!).
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