GLOSSARY

Cataplerosis withdraws cycle intermediates for other uses.

Citric-acid, Krebs and tricarboxylic-acid cycles name the same central route. Acetyl entry accompanies oxaloacetate regeneration, reduced-carrier formation and carbon dioxide release. Carriers link the cycle to respiration; the cycle does not directly generate all oxidative ATP by itself. Its roles in degradation and biosynthetic supply make it amphibolic. It links several fuels rather than representing one exclusive carbohydrate-only energy system or three separate cycles created by different names.

Citrate, alpha-ketoglutarate, succinate, malate and other intermediates connect cycle reactions and biosynthesis. Acid and ionic naming depends on conditions and does not create a separate essential supplement for each substance. Concentration reflects entry and exit; accumulation may also reflect reduced consumption. Pool size alone therefore cannot establish flux. Method and context matter, and a pathway role does not prove that orally adding an intermediate increases the cycle's useful output or athletic performance.

Anaplerosis replenishes cycle intermediates; cataplerosis removes them for other functions. Coordination maintains pools and biosynthetic supply. Acetyl entry alone is not equivalent to net replenishment of every intermediate. Pyruvate carboxylation and exits toward glucose or amino acids illustrate the distinction. Replenishment pathways do not prove that swallowing an intermediate or a Krebs-boosting product benefits humans. Net pool balance and actual flux require evidence rather than an appealing cycle diagram.