Homework SourseEating excess carbohydrates allows your body to utilize its
| Eating excess carbohydrates allows your body to utilize its proteins better to make your muscles stronger. |
| Eating excess carbohydrates is equivalent to excess substrate concentration and slows the metabolic rate, providing more energy for longer time periods (like a long-distance run). |
| Carbohydrates are complex chains of amino acids that take a lot of time to breakdown, therefore providing the necessary energy to run the body and muscles for a longer time. |
| Eating excess carbohydrates over a period of time allows the excess carbohydrates to be stored as glycogen in your liver and muscles. During a race, the glycogen is converted to glucose and, therefore, the glucose can be utilized to provide the body with more energy. |
| Excess carbohydrates turn into fat, and fat stores energy. |
Solution
Carbohydrates are long chain polysaccarides ( long chain of glucose molecules) that are the primary source of fuel for the production of ATP in our body. ATP is the usable form of energy, which is hydrolyzed during periods of strenuous exercise to provide energy to muscles and other tissues. The food we eat contains carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
Carboloading refers to eating food that is high in carbohydrates as compared to the other two. Once in the digestive system, the carbohydrates get broken down into simple sugar molecules, some of which are used up for meeting the immediate energy requirements of the body ( via glycolysis and ETS). The remaining glucose molecules are converted into glycogen, which is then stored in the liver and muscles.
When the body experiences a sudden spike in energy requirement ( eg. while running a marathon), it first turns to glycogen to meet its energy requirements. In the presence of niacin ( Vitamin B6), the body quickly breaks down glycogen into glucose, which is then oxidized to produce energy.
Therefore, the correct option is Option 4 - \'Eating excess carbohydrates over a period of time allows the excess carbohydrates to be stored as glycogen in your liver and muscles. During a race, the glycogen is converted to glucose and, therefore, the glucose can be utilized to provide the body with more energy.\'
Let us also analyze why the other options are not correct
Option 1: Eating carbohydrates do not increase the body\'s ability to use proteins in an improved manner. The biochemical pathways are different for both.
Option 2: Eating carbohydrates increase the metabolic rate, because of the presence of excess glucose molecules.
Option 3: It is not carbohydrates, but proteins, that are long chain of amino acids. Carbohydrates are long chain of glucose molecules.
Option 5: This statement is partially true. While there exists a pathway for conversion of carbohydrates into fat, the fat cannot be used to make ATP molecules as quickly as glycogen. In other words, glycogen will be used up first. Fat is broken down in case of extended periods of fasting.
