Glucose-sparing effect

The glucose-sparing effect is a physiological process in which the body conserves glucose by increasing its reliance on alternative fuel sources such as fatty acids, ketone bodies, or lactate. This is particularly important during fasting, low-carbohydrate intake, prolonged physical activity, or in some metabolic and neurological disease contexts. The primary goal is to ensure continued glucose availability for glucose-dependent tissues like the brain. Hormones such as glucagon, growth hormone, and cortisol can stimulate or modulate this effect, mainly by promoting lipolysis and ketogenesis while reducing peripheral glucose utilization in other tissues[1][5][6][8].

Other names

glucose sparingglucose-sparing processglucose-sparing adaptation