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Energy Balance Partitioning

Meaning

Energy Balance Partitioning refers to the physiological process of directing consumed energy—calories—toward specific metabolic fates within the body, such as storage as adipose tissue, utilization for immediate thermogenesis, or incorporation into lean muscle mass. It is a critical determinant of body composition, even when total caloric intake and expenditure are ostensibly matched. Hormonal signals like insulin, thyroid hormones, and growth hormone profoundly influence how the body partitions incoming energy substrates. Optimizing this partitioning is a core strategy in body composition and metabolic health.