During starvation, the body is faced with an obligate need to generate glucose to sustain cerebral energy metabolism (100 g of glucose per day). This is achieved in the first 24 hours by mobilising glycogen stores and thereafter by hepatic gluconeogenesis from amino acids, glycerol and lactate. This eventually leads to accelerated loss of lean tissue (the main source of amino acids for hepatic gluconeogenesis) IV Glucose provided for surgical patients who are fasted has a significant protein- sparing effect.Ref: Bailey and love 27e pg: 10