Final answer:
Excess pyruvate, resulting from an oversupply of glucose, can lead to the synthesis of fatty acids stored in fat cells, the production of ketone bodies as an alternative energy source, or the conversion into lactic acid during anaerobic respiration in muscles.
Step-by-step explanation:
When there is too much pyruvate being produced, it indicates that there is an excess of glucose in the body. This excess pyruvate can be metabolized by the liver and converted into fatty acids and eventually stored in adipose cells as body fat for later use.
Furthermore, if excessive acetyl CoA is created from the oxidation of these fatty acids and the Krebs cycle is overloaded, the acetyl CoA is diverted to create ketone bodies, which can be used as an alternative fuel source in conditions where glucose is not available, such as during prolonged starvation or uncontrolled diabetes.
In the absence of sufficient oxygen, pyruvate can also be converted to lactic acid in the muscles, which is a process that helps recycle NADH back into NAD+ to allow glycolysis to continue, albeit inefficiently, providing energy for short bursts of high-intensity exercise. Importantly, pyruvate's fate is closely regulated by the energy demands of the body and can also be used for synthesizing amino acids like alanine.