Answer
A well-nourished adult has about 440 grams of carbohydrates (CHO) packed away mainly in three places-- skeletal muscles , liver and blood. There is about 325 grams of glycogen in skeletal muscles, and about 90 grams in the liver. The amount of blood glucose is about 15-20 grams.
Uses of CHOs
Carbohydrates are used mainly to supply energy and heat, but they have a few other uses:
Sugars are parts of the structures of the biomolecules glycoproteins, and glycolipids; they also are components of nucleic acids, and the important molecules ATP, ADP, AMP, cAMP, NAD and GTP.
Amino acids can also be formed from sugars.
The body's most accessible source of fuel is carbohydrates. Some cells are special in that they get their energy exclusively from glucose; neurons and erythrocytes (RBCs) are the two examples of such cells.
Nevertheless, most of the cells of the body get their energy from a combination of carbohydrates and lipids.
Work Step by Step
Carbohydrates influence the metabolism of other nutrients in the following ways:
1. If blood glucose levels are too low the body accesses stored glycogen
2. If both glucose and glycogen levels are too low, the body oxidizes fat to obtain energy
3. If we consume excess CHO it is converted to fat. But if we eat insufficient amounts of CHO, the body is unable to oxidize fats completely. The incomplete oxidation of fats results in the formation of ketone bodies and the development of a pathological condition known as metabolic acidosis. There we need to consume our RDA of carbohydrates , not too much or too little.
