Energy Metabolism
Regardless of your diet, your body’s job after digestion is to convert proteins, fats and carbohydrates and convert them into energy using a process known as “Energy Metabolism”. Energy metabolism gives you what you need to go to work, walk your dog and play with your kids. It’s also the same energy that makes your heart pump blood and your lungs breath air so it’s a little surprising that the process is so very complex.
Decreased or impaired energy metabolism does more than make you feel tired or fatigued. It can also contribute to unwanted weight gain, blood sugar imbalance and plays a role in sarcopenia (reduced muscle mass). Some studies connect impaired energy metabolism with neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s. [3]
This blog is going to review some of the science through the lens of nutrition and give you tips that you can use to help make sure you get the energy metabolism you need to support the life you love.
3 Phases of Energy Metabolism
Your meal is complete and you’ve moved on to the rest of your day. Now, the body is working hard to take all those carbohydrates, proteins and fats and turn them into energy. Digestion separates vitamins and minerals from the amino acids (from protein), glucose, (from carbohydrates) and fatty acids (from fats). [1]
1. Glycolysis & Beta Oxidation
The first steps in energy metabolism begin inside the cells. Glucose falls into a process called Glycolysis and fatty acids use a slightly different process called Beta Oxidation.
Glycolysis is the first step in how your body processes sugar. Insulin ushers glucose into the cell which then helps to stimulate glycolysis. Failures in the process of glycolysis can also contribute to insulin resistance, or the condition where cells don’t respond properly to the action of insulin. Regulating the amount of sugar intake from your diet is one place you can take control. Understanding the needs of glycolysis is another.
Glycolysis relies heavily on the mineral Magnesium. Both Glycolysis and Beta Oxidation utilize Vitamin C and certain B Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5) to convert glucose and fatty acids into an intermediary compound called Acetyl CoA.
Did you know that pH is important to Glycolysis?
The body works hard to chemically regulate the pH in various systems. Researchers have connected the cascade of actions to support your acid/base balance to impaired glycolysis and insulin resistance. [2] Aim for ½ of your meal from vegetables to support a healthy pH and drink at least ½ your body weight in ounces of water each day to help flush acidic toxins.
2. Citric Acid Cycle
Once your food has been converted to Acetyl CoA it continues to the next phase of energy metabolism called the Citric Acid Cycle (also called the Krebs Cycle). Through a series of eight chemical reactions Acetyl CoA becomes the electrically charged molecules NADH and FADH2.
The B Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B12), Iron and Magnesium are used to facilitate the chemical conversion. This happens billions of times in your cells every 1-2 minutes so insufficiencies in these nutrients don’t immediately shut down the whole system, but it can feel like your battery goes into “power saving mode.”
3. Oxidative Phosphorylation (Electron Transport)
In the final phase of energy metabolism, the enzyme, CoQ10 helps the electrically charged NADH and FADH2 release their electrons to create a compound called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). ATP joins cells in the biochemical equivalent of re-charging your battery.
Nutrients involved in Energy Metabolism
As you’ve probably already put together, the vitamins and minerals used in energy metabolism come from the very food that supplied the glucose, proteins and fatty acids. Ensuring these nutrients are part of your meals and snacks will help you get the most energy from your food.
B Vitamins
The B Vitamins tend to complement each other in the body so many of them overlap sources in the diet. If your B Vitamins are low, you might notice sluggish energy, lack of motivation, or decreased exercise performance.
You can find B vitamins in: Beef and beef liver, poultry, eggs, fish such as salmon or sardines and dairy. Vegetables high in B Vitamins are green peas, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and spinach. There are also ample Bs in nuts and seeds such sesame, flax or sunflower seeds and pistachio.
Vitamin C
If you eat a low carbohydrate diet, you’ll want to focus on Vitamin C. We usually think of Vitamin C and its support of immune function, but this nutrient helps to carry the fatty acids into Beta Oxidation. If Vitamin C is low, you might feel weak muscles or more achy after exercise.
Vegetables lose 30-50% of their vitamin C when you cook them so raw is best and if you’re eating them cooked then eat more. Adding a little acidity to your food when you cook, like vinegar or lemon, can help protect the Vitamin C.
Foods high in Vitamin C are: Peppers, Kale, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Peas, Asparagus, Citrus Fruits, Kiwifruit, Strawberries
Magnesium
Magnesium plays a major role in carbohydrate metabolism in glycolysis but also binds to the ATP to deliver the energy around the body. If you have low magnesium, you might notice muscle cramps or weakness, physical fatigue or general lethargy.
Foods high in magnesium are: Beans, nuts and seeds, whole grains, leafy greens and dark chocolate.
Iron
Iron tends to act as a carrier in the body, and in energy metabolism, relies on B2 in the Citric Acid Cycle.
There are two main types of iron, “heme” iron and non-heme iron.
Heme, the more absorbable form of iron, is found in oysters, meat, poultry and fish.
Non-heme iron is also found in these animal foods, as well as in legumes and lentils, dried fruit, molasses, leafy green vegetables and whole grains.
Phytates found in grains and legumes interfere with iron absorption so soak and sprout these foods, especially if you are vegetarian.
CoQ10
Coenzyme Q10 is an enzyme that your body produces naturally in the liver, primarily from the amino acid tyrosine. CoQ10 will decrease naturally with aging, but certain genetic disorders or medications can influence the amount of CoQ10 you have available.
CoQ10 is found in: Fatty fish, chicken, beef, legumes avocados, soybeans and olive oil.
How to Support Energy Metabolism
Making sure you have nutrition in your food is primary. Supporting any digestive issues that might inhibit the breakdown and absorption of nutrients from food is just as important. If you’re already working on boosting your digestive power, supplemental nutrients can be helpful.
Consider also other demands your body has on these nutrients. For example, Vitamin C gets priority with illness and stress. You want to make sure you have more Vitamin C in your diet during these times. Some medicines also block absorption or require more nutrients. Check with your practitioner or doctor if you are concerned about any medication.
At Be Balanced Healing we use the Organic Metabolomix and Organic Acids Profile tests to help investigate energy metabolism. Contact us to learn how you can optimize your own energy metabolism.
RESOURCES
[1] Vitamins and Minerals for Energy, Fatigue and Cognition: A Narrative Review of the Biochemical and Clinical Evidence, Nutrients, January 2020. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7019700/)
[2] The Therapeutic Importance of Acid-Base Balance, Biochemical Pharmacology, January 2021. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006295220305141)
[3] Energy Metabolism and Health Diseases, Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, February 2025. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-025-02141-x#Sec90)