Why are fats better energy storage than carbohydrates in animals?

Answer 1

In term of calorie, no question fat is the best storage. However, your body also need glycogen storage that can be obtained from carbohydrate after the effort (and not before as usually stated).

If you are an endurance runner, your energy will be obtained form lipid and protein after a short intermediate time where you start burning sugar.

If you make a short effort you will burn sugar. If you are loaded with a moderate amount of slow sugar before your start you will pass easily to burning lipid after the transiton time.

If you have fast sugar in your stomach, you will trigger insulin circuit which is bad, as it will make a retroaction loop and clean your blood of present sugar and delay the antagonist endurance ciruit based on the use of lipid.

So fat are better than carbohydrate which are only needed in limited amount and in their slow form (complete cereals, pasta ect si gi index tables). But here also there are several types of fat...and some are known to be bad especially trans and omega 6, other debated (animal saturated fat) but probably not so unealthy.

Answer 2

with their numerous hydrogen atoms, fats provide an abundant source of high-energy electrons

Answer 3

fats