Question

Why muscle wasting happens during starvation ( mechanism, example , evidence)

Answer 1

glucose is the primary energy source and as the blood glucose is consumed the level of blood sugar is tightly regulated by the pancreas which releases glucagon, and glycogen is converted into glucose. The restoration of glucose is replenished after every meal or if it doesn't happen the body enters hypoglycemia and this causes the starvation response.After the exhaustion of the glycogen reserve fatty acids become the principal metabolic fuel in the body. The brain first uses glucose then it switch to fatty acid when no more goucose is left . At starting fatty acid is used by no brain tissue and all glucose whatever left is utilised by brain . Then after two to three days of starvation liver start synthesizing ketone bodies from the precursor molecules of fatty acid breakdown and brain utilises these ketone bodies as fuel .After the depletion of fat the break down of protein present in body get initiated.so alanine and lactose is formed from pyruvate in the blood which is converted in glucose with the aid of liver . Human muscle mass is made up of protein so it causes wasting away of muscle mass .

The evidence of this is observed through measuring the blood glucose level of the body .