Skip to main content

Bioenergetic Substrate Switching

Meaning

This term describes the dynamic, physiological process by which a cell, organ, or the entire organism transitions its primary source of energy production between different macronutrient substrates, typically shifting between glucose (carbohydrates) and fatty acids (lipids). Efficient metabolic flexibility is a hallmark of youthful cellular function, allowing the body to maintain energy homeostasis under varying nutritional and hormonal states. Impaired switching, or metabolic inflexibility, is often a precursor to insulin resistance and chronic metabolic dysfunction, impacting overall hormonal equilibrium.