Glucagon

Glucagon is a pancreatic hormone and should not be confused with glycogen, which is stored glucose in the liver and muscles. The body carries roughly 12 to 18 hours of glycogen reserve before depletion. The glucagon counterbalance is eliminated when carbohydrates are present alongside protein. Glucagon does not override insulin; the dominant signal depends on the nutritional state. Glucagon is a hormone that opposes insulin. Glucagon acts as a major governor of excess insulin production. Glucagon does the opposite of insulin: when elevated, it mobilizes and burns fat. Glucagon acts mainly on the liver to trigger glycogen breakdown and release glucose into circulation. Protein and exercise stimulate glucagon, while carbohydrates stimulate insulin. Glucagon does the opposite of insulin by promoting fat burning and the release of stored fat. Insulin and glucagon maintain a close, antagonistic relationship as opposing pancreatic hormones. Protein uniquely stimulates both insulin and glucagon simultaneously, a property carbohydrates do not share. Glucagon tells the liver to accelerate glycogen breakdown and tells fat cells to release stored fatty acids. Between 4 and 8 hours of fasting…