Welcome to the inner circle of metabolism, Hopium Health readers.
You’ve met ATP. You’ve seen how magnesium unlocks its power. Now let’s talk about the silent, spinning miracle in every cell of your body: the Krebs cycle.
Also called the citric acid cycle or TCA cycle, it’s the part of your metabolism where your cells take the fuel from food and spin it into raw energy. Think of it as your body’s energy centrifuge.
Where It Happens
Inside your mitochondria — the little power plants in your cells.
That phrase from biology class? “The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell”? This is why.
What It Uses as Fuel
- Carbs (glucose)
- Fats (fatty acids)
- Proteins (amino acids)
All of these are broken down into a molecule called acetyl-CoA, which feeds into the Krebs cycle.
What It Produces
The cycle spins like a loop and produces:
- 3 NADH (high-energy electron carriers)
- 1 FADH₂ (another energy shuttle)
- 1 GTP or ATP (direct energy)
- 2 CO₂ (carbon dioxide, which you exhale)
But most of the energy isn’t made here. It comes later, when those electron carriers head into the electron transport chain to make a flood of ATP.
The Krebs cycle is the warm-up before the metabolic fireworks show.
Why It Matters
Without the Krebs cycle:
- You can’t make ATP.
- You can’t burn fat or sugar.
- Your brain fogs, your muscles sag, and your mitochondria cry.
It also relies on key vitamins and minerals:
- Magnesium (again!)
- B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5)
- Iron
This is why nutrient-rich food matters. Your metabolism runs on more than macros. It runs on micros too.
Final Word: Let It Spin
The Krebs cycle may sound nerdy and complex, but it’s quietly running the show inside you 24/7.
Every bite you eat, every breath you take, every heartbeat, every jog, every brainwave? All powered by this tiny loop.
So eat your greens. Get your B vitamins. Love your mitochondria.
Hopium Health says: The real spin class is happening inside your cells.
Stay tuned — we might animate this next. ✨
