study case

MBC 3560 Homework 2, due Wednesday March 14, 2018

1. Talk to any marathon runner and they will tell you that in the days before the race, they

“carbo load”.

a. (5 pts) What are the biochemical reasons, they eat so many “carbs” prior to the big

race? In other words, what are they trying to achieve and why?

b. (7 pts) Their pre-race routines habitually include a day of “taking it easy”, drinking lots of

water and ending the day with a large bowl of spaghetti with lots of crusty bread on the

side. Using the figure below, prioritize the ways in which the Marathon-Eve meal will be

used (start right after the meal and while they are sleeping). Indicate with numbers, what

will happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc)

c. (8 pts) Diagram the effects of the insulin that is released after the carbohydrate rich

meal. (Start with insulin binding to its receptor and draw a flow chart from there.)

d. (5 pts) Describe the effect of the carbohydrates rich meal on glycogen degradation. Be

specific in terms of regulation of the enzymes involved in glycogenlysis.