Optimal Energy Metabolism Starts with the Right Micronutrients

Energy is more than the push that gets you out of bed—it’s the foundation for everything that happens inside your body. Every cell, every thought, every movement relies on how efficiently your energy metabolism is working.

When it’s running smoothly, you feel awake, focused and capable. When it’s not, motivation drops—no matter how much you eat or sleep. In this article, you’ll learn how your body produces energy, which nutrients play a key role, and what you can do to support a healthy, active energy metabolism.

How does energy metabolism work?

Energy metabolism sits at the centre of everything your body does. It’s the part of your metabolism responsible for generating the energy needed to stay alive—and because that’s so crucial, your body has several ways of producing usable energy. Most of it comes in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Depending on the intensity of your activity, ATP can be produced with or without oxygen—known as aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) energy production.

Remember: The shorter the effort, the less time your body has to use oxygen for energy. In all-out sprints, the body relies mostly on anaerobic metabolism; during longer efforts lasting minutes to hours, aerobic energy production dominates.

• Sprint (0–10 seconds): Creatine phosphate
• Short (10 seconds to ~3 minutes): Glycolysis without oxygen (anaerobic)
• Medium to long (from ~2 minutes): Oxidative phosphorylation using oxygen (aerobic)

These timeframes are only a guide. The systems don’t work in isolation—they overlap like a relay team handing over the baton. As one system fatigues, the next takes over.

The goal is always the same: produce ATP, the universal energy currency of your cells.

Unlike real currency, the body can’t store ATP. It’s used immediately—for example, to power your muscles when climbing stairs. Your energy metabolism therefore runs in a constant cycle of producing, using and recycling ATP. And the scale is astonishing: each day, your body makes and uses roughly its own weight in ATP. For someone weighing 80 kg, that’s around 80 kg of ATP produced and consumed daily.

Every movement, every thought, every moment of recovery uses ATP. Without it, your heart wouldn’t beat, your brain wouldn’t function and your muscles wouldn’t move. Energy metabolism isn’t a side process—it’s the foundation of life.

What’s the difference between metabolism and energy metabolism?

“Metabolism” is a term we use frequently but often misunderstand. Biologically, it includes every chemical reaction in your body—from digestion to muscle development to detoxification.

Energy metabolism is one part of this bigger system—the part that ensures every other process can happen in the first place.

Think of metabolism as a massive logistics hub, constantly moving goods in and out. Energy metabolism is the part that keeps the lights on.

It connects two crucial worlds: the breakdown and utilisation of nutrients with the production of energy. Without this link, enzymes couldn’t function, muscles couldn’t contract and nerves couldn’t send signals.

Which nutrients support optimal energy metabolism?

For energy metabolism to run efficiently, your body needs fuel (macronutrients) and ignition sparks (micronutrients).

Macronutrients—your body’s energy sources

Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are broken down after digestion and provide the electrons needed to fuel energy metabolism. These electrons are essential for ATP production.

• Carbohydrates: provide quick, easily accessible energy in the form of glucose.
• Fats: provide long-lasting energy, especially at rest or during endurance activity.
• Protein: mainly supports tissue building, but can be used as an emergency energy source when needed.

Micronutrients—your metabolic activators

Macronutrients provide the “fuel”, while micronutrients act like the “spark plugs” in the engine. Once carbohydrates and fats deliver the raw materials, micronutrients activate the enzymes that convert these substances into energy.

Without them, many metabolic processes would run at minimal capacity—or not at all.

Key players include:

• B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B12, folate): They activate the enzymes needed to convert carbohydrates, fats and protein into energy. Niacin (B3), for example, is a precursor to NAD⁺ and NADH—both essential for ATP production. Vitamin B6, in its active form P5P, is a cofactor for hundreds of enzymes involved in protein, glucose and lipid metabolism.
• Magnesium: A cofactor for over 300 enzymes, including many that create or use ATP. It also forms a complex with ATP (the Mg-ATP complex), making ATP stable and usable. Without magnesium, ATP couldn’t transfer its phosphate group—meaning it wouldn’t provide energy at all.
• Copper, zinc, manganese: These minerals support the electron transport chain and help protect cells from oxidative stress.3 Copper has a direct role in energy production by transferring electrons and reducing oxygen — enabling the final step in ATP formation. Zinc and manganese protect and repair the cell from stress generated during ATP production.

Without micronutrients, your metabolism runs like an engine with no spark plugs—the fuel is there, but nothing happens.

Good to know

AG1 provides essential micronutrients that support active energy metabolism, including key B vitamins such as B12 and B6, as well as magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc.3

How to support your energy metabolism

A healthy, active energy metabolism isn’t down to luck—it’s shaped by your lifestyle, movement, nutrient intake and recovery.

1. Movement: Energy generates energy

Regular physical activity increases both the number and efficiency of your mitochondria—the “powerhouses” of your cells, where oxygen-dependent ATP production takes place. Even moderate activity like walking or cycling stimulates energy production. Higher-intensity training, such as intervals, adds an extra boost. And building muscle through strength training increases mitochondrial density in new muscle cells.

2. Prioritise protein

Protein isn’t just a building block—it’s also a signal. The amino acids in protein help build and maintain muscle mass, and muscle tissue is the body’s largest energy consumer. More muscle mass means a higher resting metabolic rate and a more active metabolism. Because muscle cells have high energy demands, they naturally require more mitochondria—meaning increased muscle mass not only supports long-term health, but also promotes a more active metabolism.

3. Sleep and stress management

Lack of sleep and chronic stress can disrupt hormonal balance, slowing energy metabolism and impairing mitochondrial function. Quality sleep, intentional recovery and regular moments of rest aren’t indulgences—they’re essential for supporting your metabolic health and energy levels.

4. Targeted micronutrient intake

A varied, plant-forward diet provides a broad range of vitamins and minerals. But modern lifestyles, stress and inconsistent eating patterns can make optimal intake challenging. High-quality supplements like AG1 can help by providing a blend of vitamins, minerals, plant extracts and bacterial cultures that support energy metabolism.2

How to boost your metabolism

After exploring how to activate energy metabolism specifically, let’s look at broader ways to support your overall metabolic function.

1. Strength training

Strength training builds muscle mass and increases mitochondrial density. As new muscle fibres develop, new mitochondria form alongside them. These cellular “powerhouses” are needed to supply muscle cells with ATP—especially under higher energy demand.

2. Everyday movement

Everyday movement increases NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)—the energy your body burns outside of formal exercise. It includes walking, climbing stairs, housework, fidgeting, tapping your feet and even standing. The best part? You can increase NEAT without equipment or planning—simple habit changes are enough.

3. Protein-rich eating

If NEAT boosts your daily energy burn through movement, protein does the same through digestion. Protein has the highest thermic effect of all macronutrients—your body uses 20–30% of the calories from protein just to digest and metabolise it. Carbohydrates require only 5–10%, and fats as little as ~3%.

4. Mindfulness and mental energy

Psychological stress can directly suppress energy production. Breathing exercises, meditation and intentional breaks help regulate stress hormones—and create space for cellular recovery.

5. A strong nutrient foundation

Micronutrients keep metabolism running smoothly across the board: from breaking down food (e.g., calcium plays an important role in digestive enzyme activity)7 to producing energy, building tissue and eliminating waste. Without strong micronutrient intake, metabolism slows.

Conclusion: How can I support my energy metabolism?

An active energy metabolism is the result of a balanced interplay of nutrition, movement, recovery and micronutrient intake. The key is not to view these elements in isolation, but to understand the body as a connected system: only when all parts work together can energy be produced efficiently.

At the centre of this system are your mitochondria—the structures that turn nutrients into ATP and influence how energised you feel. But mitochondria are sensitive. They react to stress and nutrient deficiencies. A healthy lifestyle acts like training for these tiny powerhouses: movement encourages their growth, recovery and antioxidants support their repair, and micronutrients keep key biochemical processes running.3

To support an active energy metabolism, your body needs three things:

• Enough fuel in the form of high-quality carbohydrates, fats and proteins
• The right “spark plugs”: vitamins and minerals that activate the metabolic engine
• A supportive environment: regular movement, recovery and mental balance to keep metabolism steady

A well-functioning energy metabolism isn’t a quick fix—it’s the foundation of long-term vitality. Looking after it is an investment in sustainable, day-to-day energy.

Related reading:

• Nutrients for immune function
• Nutrients for digestive system