You know the old saying, “You are what you eat?"
Well, this saying can be kinda true … Especially when you look at your food as fuel! If you think about it, food literally is fuel.
The food you eat is made up of calories and these calories come from the macronutrients in food. These macronutrients are protein, carbs, and fat.
Calories are literally a unit of measurement for energy. This is the energy your body needs to function every single day!
Now, your body is super smart. It actually breaks these macronutrients down to be used for energy. When it's necessary, your body will also take excess energy and store it in the body for later.
While this can be body fat, it can also be something called glycogen. If I had to guess, that's what you're here to learn about today!
So, for starters, what is glycogen?
What Is Glycogen?
Glycogen is essentially a stored form of glucose, which is a simple form of carbohydrate.
Carbs ... really? Yes - Believe it or not, your body's preferred source of energy is carbohydrates.
When you eat foods that have carbs, your body breaks these carbs down into glucose. Your body will then use all the glucose it needs for energy at that time. From there, excess glucose can then be stored as glycogen in muscle and the liver (1).
After that, yes, they could also be stored as body fat.
At the end of the day though, glycogen is your body's most readily available form of stored energy.
Glycogen vs Glucose
I get it, glycogen and glucose sound very similar. Truthfully, they are, and this is where a lot of people get confused.
So, here's how I think of it:
1. Glucose is the main source of energy in your bloodstream and for your cells.
2. Glycogen is glucose that your body stores in muscle and the liver to break down for energy in the absence of glucose.
So, really, these two things are very similar. The biggest difference here is where they reside.
How Is Glycogen Stored?
As I mentioned earlier, glycogen is stored in your muscles and liver. This gives your body a readily available source of energy when it needs it.
How glycogen is stored though comes down to a process called glycogenesis (2). Glycogenesis takes place by taking glucose to form chains of glycogen for storage.
This process takes place after a meal that raises your blood sugar. Insulin helps to bring that excess sugar down, and into your muscles and liver first. That’s when your muscles and liver will link that glucose together and store is as glycogen.
What Does Your Body Use Glycogen For?
With all this talk about glucose, glycogen, glycogenesis, and everything else … You’re probably wondering what the heck glycogen is even used for!
Well, let's take a step back and think about the questions of the day: What is glycogen?
Remember, it’s the stored form of glucose. Glucose is your body’s preferred source of energy.
So, glycogen is used to help support your body’s energy needs. But when would you use glycogen over glucose or even fat?
When Does Your Body Use Glycogen?
Your body is going to use glycogen in many different scenarios. Remember though, your body stores glycogen in the liver and muscles.
This also means there is a time when your body uses muscle glycogen and when your body uses liver glycogen. So, let's dive into when your body uses each.
When Muscle Glycogen is Used
Muscle glycogen is mainly used for fuel during exercise (4).
For example, when you are doing resistance training or working out for an extended period of time. You'll also use muscle glycogen at high intensities.
In resistance training, the contractions of your muscles are partially controlled by glycogen (4).
When you’re working out for a long period of time, your body will basically use everything that it can to help give you fuel. For example, if you are running a marathon, then your body will be mostly depleted of energy stores. This is where muscle glycogen can kick in and help out!
When you’re working out at higher intensities, muscle glycogen comes into play! There’s a simple equation called the maximum aerobic function that can give you a good idea where your heart rate needs to be for this to happen.
If your heart rate gets above 180 - Your Age, then your body will likely be using glycogen for fuel (5).
When Liver Glycogen is Used
There are a few different times when liver glycogen gets used. However, the main function of liver glycogen is to help regulate blood sugar levels (3).
This often takes place when your body’s blood sugar levels fall too low. The liver will release some of the stored glycogen to help increase blood glucose levels.
This is a good thing because if your blood sugar keeps decreasing, you could get blurry vision, loss of motor control, and even run into life-threatening situations!
As a Type 1 Diabetic myself, I can't stress the importance of balancing your blood sugar enough!
Don’t Forget To Replenish Your Glycogen Stores
Keeping your glycogen stores full can make sure you are ready to take on any physical demands at any time. So, how do you do this?
Well, simply by making sure you get a sufficient amount of carbs in your nutrition! Now, I know this will look a little different for everybody and that's okay.
We all have different goals, different fitness levels, and different starting points. All of these things and more can influence what the best approach to nutrition will look like for you.
If you're in pursuit of specific health and fitness goals, just know we're here to help! Our mission at 1st Phorm is to help real people earn real and long-term results. That's why we created the 1st Phorm App!
Inside the 1st Phorm App, you’ll have access to your own certified advisor. This is a real person you can message to help set up your nutrition and answer any questions you may have! It's like having a friend and a coach right inside your pocket.
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References:
(1) Daghlas SA, Mohiuddin SS. Biochemistry, Glycogen. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539802.
(2) Patino SC, Orrick JA. Biochemistry - Glycogenolysis. [Updated 2024 Jan 27]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549820.
(3) Mandl, József. “Glycogen-Endoplasmic Reticulum Connection in the Liver.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 24,2 1074. 5 Jan. 2023, doi:10.3390/ijms24021074.
(4) Areta, José L, and Will G Hopkins. “Skeletal Muscle Glycogen Content at Rest and During Endurance Exercise in Humans: A Meta-Analysis.” Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 48,9 (2018): 2091-2102. doi:10.1007/s40279-018-0941-1.
(5) Maffetone, Philip, and Paul B Laursen. “Maximum Aerobic Function: Clinical Relevance, Physiological Underpinnings, and Practical Application.” Frontiers in physiology vol. 11 296. 2 Apr. 2020, doi:10.3389/fphys.2020.00296.
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