Show Notes
When should nutrition go through the gastrointestinal tract, and when should it go directly into the bloodstream? This episode uses two fictional patients to make the difference between enteral nutrition and parenteral nutrition easy to remember. We examine gastrointestinal function, access, clinical appropriateness, and complications rather than relying on simplistic rules. Two original practice questions help reinforce the decision-making process you’ll need for the RD exam.
More from RD Exam In The Car
When a patient cannot eat enough to meet nutritional needs, how do clinicians decide between feeding through the gastrointestinal tract and delivering nutrients intravenously? In this episode, we examine enteral and parenteral nutrition, their clinical indications, physiological differences, and potential complications. Using real clinical scenarios, we explain how dietitians, nurses, and medical teams determine the safest and most appropriate method of nutritional support.
What happens to glucose after glycolysis, and how does your body turn carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into usable energy? In this episode of RD Exam in the Car, we break down the Krebs cycle, acetyl-CoA, NADH, FADH₂, and the electron transport chain without overwhelming you with complicated biochemistry. You’ll learn where these processes occur, why oxygen matters, and which concepts are most important for the Registered Dietitian exam. We also connect cellular energy production to exercise physiology, nutrition, and clinical conditions.
Glycolysis is one of the most important metabolic pathways tested on the Registered Dietitian exam, yet its enzymes, reactions, and energy calculations can seem overwhelming. In this episode, we simplify how glucose is converted into pyruvate, why ATP is both consumed and produced, and what happens when oxygen availability changes. You’ll learn the key regulatory enzymes, the net energy yield, and the clinical connections that make glycolysis easier to understand and remember.
Fat digestion involves several coordinated processes that are essential for the RD exam. This episode explains how bile salts, pancreatic lipase, micelles, and chylomicrons work together to digest and transport dietary fats. We also examine the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and the consequences of impaired fat digestion. Strengthen your understanding of gastrointestinal physiology, clinical nutrition, and nutrient metabolism.
Protein digestion is a favorite RD exam topic because it connects gastrointestinal physiology, enzymes, amino acid absorption, and nitrogen metabolism. In this episode, we follow protein from the stomach through the small intestine and explain what happens to amino acids after they enter the bloodstream. We’ll also focus on the enzymes, hormones, and metabolic pathways you’re most likely to encounter on the exam.