Human studies linking metabolism with organism-wide physiologic function have been challenged by confounding, adherence, and precision. Here, we united physiologic and molecular phenotypes of metabolism during controlled dietary intervention to understand integrated metabolic-physiologic responses to nutrition. In an inpatient study of individuals who underwent serial 24-hour metabolic chamber experiments (indirect calorimetry) and metabolite profiling, we mapped a human metabolome onto substrate oxidation rates and energy expenditure across up to 7 dietary conditions (energy balance, fasting, multiple 200% caloric excess overfeeding of varying fat, protein, and carbohydrate composition). Diets exhibiting greater fat oxidation (e.g., fasting, high-fat) were associated with changes in metabolites within pathways of mitochondrial β-oxidation, ketogenesis, adipose tissue fatty acid liberation, and/or multiple anapleurotic substrates for tricarboxylic acid cycle flux, with inverse associations for diets with greater carbohydrate availability. Changes in each of these metabolite classes were strongly related to 24-hour respiratory quotient (RQ) and substrate oxidation rates (e.g., acylcarnitines related to lower 24-hour RQ and higher 24-hour lipid oxidation), underscoring links between substrate availability, physiology, and metabolism in humans. Physiologic responses to diet determined by gold-standard human metabolic chambers are strongly coordinated with biologically consistent, interconnected metabolic pathways encoded in the metabolome.
Andrew S. Perry, Paolo Piaggi, Shi Huang, Matthew Nayor, Jane Freedman, Kari E. North, Jennifer E. Below, Clary B. Clish, Venkatesh L. Murthy, Jonathan Krakoff, Ravi V. Shah
Usage data is cumulative from December 2024 through December 2025.
| Usage | JCI | PMC |
|---|---|---|
| Text version | 1,799 | 476 |
| 307 | 109 | |
| Figure | 418 | 0 |
| Table | 53 | 0 |
| Supplemental data | 283 | 9 |
| Citation downloads | 76 | 0 |
| Totals | 2,936 | 594 |
| Total Views | 3,530 | |
Usage information is collected from two different sources: this site (JCI) and Pubmed Central (PMC). JCI information (compiled daily) shows human readership based on methods we employ to screen out robotic usage. PMC information (aggregated monthly) is also similarly screened of robotic usage.
Various methods are used to distinguish robotic usage. For example, Google automatically scans articles to add to its search index and identifies itself as robotic; other services might not clearly identify themselves as robotic, or they are new or unknown as robotic. Because this activity can be misinterpreted as human readership, data may be re-processed periodically to reflect an improved understanding of robotic activity. Because of these factors, readers should consider usage information illustrative but subject to change.