Since gluconeogenesis is extremely expensive, it has to be tightly regulated so that it only occurs when both of two conditions are met: 1) the liver has enough energy to invest a portion into synthesizing glucose, and 2) the rest of the body is in need of that glucose.

Since the liver is the metabolic hub of the body that also plays a major role in anabolic synthesis and nitrogen disposal, it also regulates glycolysis and gluconeogenesis according to whether amino acids are available to supply energy in place of glucose and whether there is sufficient citrate and associated energy for biosynthesis. This lesson covers how insulin, glucagon, alanine, citrate, fructose 2-6-bisphosphate, ATP, ADP, and AMP regulate the flux between glycolysis and gluconeogenesis.