Catabolism, the body's process of obtaining energy

All of you must be familiar with the term metabolism, which is the process by which the body gets energy. However, in fact, metabolism is still divided into two more parts, namely catabolism and anabolism. In order to produce energy, the body carries out a catabolic process. Yes, catabolism is one of the body's processes to break down nutrients into energy. So, what other unique facts are related to catabolism?

What is catabolism?

Catabolism is the process when the body digests food into small molecules in the body to be used as energy. The large and complex molecules in the body are then broken down into smaller and simpler ones. So, when you eat rice or other staple foods that your body converts into main energy, that's when catabolism occurs. In simple terms, catabolism can be defined as the process of producing energy from the breakdown of carbohydrates (or other staple foods).

Examples of catabolic processes are the same as carbohydrates from rice that enter the body. The carbohydrates are then converted into disaccharides and broken down again into monosaccharides (glucose).

Glucose is the smallest part of carbohydrate catabolism which will be absorbed by the body into the bloodstream. Later, glucose in the blood will flow throughout the body and be distributed to other body cells that need glucose to be converted into energy.

Catabolism also involves several hormones in the body

Catabolism is a process that still has to be assisted by certain hormones and enzymes. Several hormones that play a role in the catabolism process, including:

Adrenaline
Cortisol
Cytokines
Glucagon

Hormones will affect the catabolic process, which will have an impact on the body's response. If any of the above hormones are disturbed, it will affect the catabolism process and your overall body health. Because basically the metabolic processes, hormones and enzymes in the body are related to each other. For example, homon adrenaline is very useful for the heart and has a role related to the flow of oxygen carried by blood throughout the body. Imagine if your adrenal hormones were disturbed. Of course the heart and oxygen flow can also be affected.

Catabolic exercise to improve health

Exercise can help the catabolic process run better. Exercises that can increase the catabolic process are called catabolic exercises. Catabolic exercise is known to reduce body weight by burning more fat and building more muscle mass. Sometimes, these catabolic processes are often used as a reference for whether your body can lose or gain weight quickly or not.

Catabolic sports, such as cycling, swimming, and running can be useful exercises for the health of the body, especially the heart. Catabolic exercises are believed to increase heart rate and blood pressure. That way, your lungs and heart will also be healthier.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, to stay healthy and get maximum fitness results you can follow exercise guidelines with the following timing:

150 minutes a week at moderate intensity
75 minutes a week at high intensity

You can divide the exercise time into three to five days of training schedule in 1 week. If you have a history of certain health conditions, you should consult your doctor first before starting these sports.

During this catabolic exercise, your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing will increase. In this process, your body will break down glycogen (the result of the breakdown of carbohydrates) into energy to be used as fuel during exercise. If the carbohydrates in your body have run out and nothing else can be converted into energy, the cortisol hormone in your body will use amino acids to create energy.

This is the cause of slow catabolism

Although it is a natural process that occurs in the body, catabolism can be slow. This is caused by several factors, including:

1. Lack of movement and activity

The energy received from food will be used as energy by the body to carry out various activities. So, what if you just sit still for a whole day? Your catabolism will slow down. Catabolism is the process of producing energy. Exercise helps the process go faster. When you don't move much, your body burns less (or slower) carbohydrates, which means less energy is created.

2. Less calories are consumed by the body

Limiting the amount of intake is often chosen as a way to lose weight. In fact, eating too little can make your catabolic and anabolic processes decrease. As a result, your body cannot produce energy as it should.

When you reduce your total calorie intake to a fraction of the usual amount, your body perceives you as starving. In that condition, the body will slow down the burning of calories in your body.

3. Lack of sleep

You probably already know that lack of sleep can increase your risk of various diseases and fatigue the next day. In addition, several studies have also shown that lack of sleep can slow down your metabolism and can lead to weight gain.

Research conducted by Spaeth and colleagues in 2015, for example, proved that lack of sleep can reduce the resting metabolic rate of healthy adults in the morning. Lack of sleep can disturb carbohydrate metabolism in your body so that when you wake up, your body still has high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels indicate that glucose, which should be broken down into energy in the body, continues to flow freely in the bloodstream.

4. Stress

Stress can increase your production of the hormone cortisol. This then makes your appetite increase. If this happens continuously, you can gain weight because carbohydrates that are not broken down into energy are stored as fat. This weight gain can eventually cause your body's metabolism to decrease.

5. Consumption of certain drugs

Yes, certain drugs can also slow down the metabolism in the body. Some of them are antidepressants, diabetes drugs, steroids, and hormone therapy. If you think you gained weight after taking the drug, it may have an impact on your metabolism. If this condition bothers you, you should immediately discuss it with your doctor.