What is the starch called that we store in our muscle cells for available energy?

The substance stored in our muscle cells for available energy is called glycogen. Glycogen is a polysaccharide that serves as a form of energy storage in animals and fungi. It is made up of long chains of glucose molecules and is primarily found in the liver and muscle tissues.

When the body needs energy, especially during exercise, glycogen can be quickly broken down into glucose, which is then used by muscle cells to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the molecule that provides energy for cellular activities. This rapid conversion makes glycogen an efficient energy reserve, particularly for high-intensity activities.

In contrast, glucose is a simple sugar and the primary energy source, but it is not stored in significant amounts in muscle cells. Cellulose, a structural component of plant cell walls, is not utilized by the human body for energy in the same way. Starch, while a form of energy storage in plants, is not what is stored in human muscle cells; instead, humans store energy in the form of glycogen. Thus, glycogen is the correct term for the stored energy source in muscle cells.