Final answer:
Sugars and oxygen are the primary substances used in cellular respiration to release energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The substances primarily involved in cellular respiration, where cells use them to release energy stored in molecules, are sugars (or glucose) and oxygen. During cellular respiration, glucose and oxygen are consumed to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), with carbon dioxide and water as waste products. This process primarily occurs in the mitochondria of the cell.