3.2.3 Triglyceride Storage

What does stored fat provide

Stored fat provides energy when energy supply is not immediately available in the form of glucose or glycogen.

Triglycerides

Eating more fat than the body requires leads to excess fat being stored as triglycerides in adipose tissue and skeletal muscles. The adipose tissue can be found under the skin and between organs.

Your body will use fuels in this order:

Glucose → Glycogen → Fat → Protein

Why is it difficult to lose fat

This is because glucose and glycogen are easily accessible and more easily converted to energy. This is why it is so difficult for people to lose fat. Similarly, this is the reasoning behind low-carbohydrate diets (you deplete the body of carbohydrates so it is forced to use fats as an energy source).

what happens when glucose and glycogen stores are depleted

If glucose and glycogen stores are depleted (could be through lack of dietary intake or prolonged energy consumption), your body will start a process of fat metabolism called β-oxidation.

β-oxidation

β-oxidation is the process of releasing energy from fatty cells. Research shows that the body prefers to metabolise mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids over saturated fatty acids. This is important for dietary choices.

Major sites of Triglycerides (Main part)

Adipose tissue (Body fat) and skeletal muscle