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Substrate Utilization Profiling

Meaning

Substrate Utilization Profiling is the precise clinical assessment of an individual’s efficiency and preference in deriving cellular energy from the three primary metabolic fuels: carbohydrates (glucose), fats (fatty acids), and, to a lesser extent, proteins (amino acids). This comprehensive profiling accurately determines the individual’s respiratory quotient and, critically, their metabolic flexibility, which is the body’s essential ability to seamlessly and rapidly switch between burning glucose and fat in response to nutrient availability and energy demand. Optimal profiling indicates high metabolic flexibility and robust, efficient energy transfer.