A 26-year-old male prisoner begins a hunger strike to protestwhat he considers unfair prison policies. He drinks only tap water,and his only exercise is two daily half-hour walks at approximately2.5 miles/hr. The temperature in his cell is maintained at 220C.His starting weight is 70 Kg, of which 14% is body fat. At the endof 4 weeks, he is urged by the prison physician, family, friends,and his attorney to stop his fast because of his deterioratingconditions.
a. What changes in plasma levels of energy substrates wouldoccur in the first 3 days of his fast?
b. On what immediate and on what ultimate sources of energywould brain metabolism depend?
c. What role would the liver play in providing energy sources tothe brain and muscles?
d. What early changes in plasma levels of hormones would occur?How would this regulate his energy metabolism?
e. What physiologic events would occur when he stopped his fastby drinking a large quantity of a high glucose fluid?
