Tag: Aerobic vs anaerobic

Despite making up only 2% of the body's weight, the human brain consumes around 20% of the body's total oxygen supply to function optimally. This astonishing demand for oxygen highlights its fundamental role, working alongside the food we eat, to fuel every single one of our cells.

The human brain alone, despite being only about 2% of body weight, can consume up to 25% of the body's total energy budget, relying almost exclusively on glucose from carbohydrates. This fundamental dependency on glucose is a primary reason for why carbohydrates are used for energy instead of fat as the body's go-to fuel source.

Our body's cells convert glucose into energy via a complex metabolic pathway known as cellular respiration, and it's the primary way to extract energy from carbohydrates. This vital process fuels everything from muscle contraction to brain function, starting from the carbohydrates we consume in our diet.

The human body is constantly working to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the usable form of energy for muscle contraction. To understand which of the following is the primary energy source for exercise, you must consider the activity's intensity and duration, as the body shifts its fuel usage between three distinct energy systems accordingly.