I recently read in a popular book on exercising that muscles could not
burn fatty acids without first burning glucose. In the words of the
author, fatty acids need glucose as "kindling". I've read similar
comments before in the popular press: "lipids burn in the fire of
carbohydrates", or some such. Also along these lines, I've read that
the phenomenon of hitting "the Wall", a common experience among
marathoners, corresponds to the complete depletion of the body's
glycogen stores, and that, without glycogen, the body can't go on,
even if its lipid stores have not yet been depleted.
I haven't been able to find confirmation to any of the above in my
biochemistry textbooks. As far as I can tell, fatty acid oxidation,
the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation can all take
place *without* any prior or concomitant glycolysis. Is this true?
Or I'm I missing something?
Thanks in advance for your help,
Z.
