Effect of cold on metabolic use of lipids.

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Abstract
Several definitive conclusions can be drawn about the role of lipids in enabling homeotherms to meet the problems related to living at low environmental temperatures. The adipose tissue reserves of triglyceride are mobilized to meet the increased energy requirements of the cold-induced shivering thermogenesis that occurs on initial exposure to low environmental temperatures. However, rather than indicating that fat is the preferred fuel for cold-induced thermogenesis, this increased mobilization of fat merely reflects the fact that on initial exposure to cold the animal is in a negative energy balance. There is strong evidence that all foodstuffs[long dash]protein, carbohydrate, and fat[long dash]can support cold-induced shivering thermogenesis; moreover, there is no evidence that any one is the preferred fuel. Also, in cold-induced nonshivering thermogenesis, which is so well developed on cold-acclimation, there is evidence that neither fat nor any other foodstuff is the preferred fuel; rather, the data point to the increased utilization of each of these materials as fuel. There is strong experimental evidence to indicate that diets high in fat content are beneficial for life in the cold. Whether this results from changes in metabolism induced by high-fat diets or from an alteration in insulation or from a combination of these factors remains to be established.