Fasting, Feeding and Regulation of the Sympathetic Nervous System

THE importance of catecholamines in the regulation of metabolic processes has been recognized for over 50 years. Catecholamines influence metabolism in two major ways: they increase the rate of cellular metabolism,^{1 2 3 4} and they stimulate the conversion of complex fuels into readily usable substrates.⁵ The increased rate of cellular metabolism induced by catecholamines is manifested by elevations in heat production and fuel and oxygen consumption; however, the cellular mechanisms involved have not been established, and this important effect of catecholamines on energy consumption is often overlooked. Catecholamine stimulation of the breakdown of complex fuels supplies energy for increased cellular metabolism; the.