MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION & THE ORGANIC ACIDS TEST
WHY YOUR FATIGUE MAY BE CELLULAR — AND HOW THE OAT REVEALS IT
OPTIMAL MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION
ATP ⚡⚡⚡
ENERGY OUTPUT: OPTIMAL
Glucose
→ Pyruvate
Fatty
acids
→ β-oxid.
CO₂ + H₂O
normal byproducts
✓ What you feel when mitochondria work
✓ Sustained energy without caffeine dependency
✓ Post-exercise recovery within 24–48 hours
✓ Mental clarity throughout the day
✓ Stable mood and motivation
OAT MARKERS — NORMAL RANGE
Citric acid · Succinic acid · Fumaric acid: all within range
Lactic acid normal · Pyruvic acid normal · Malic acid normal
MEASURED BY
OAT
Urine · First morning
Home collection
MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION
ATP ⚡
ENERGY OUTPUT: REDUCED 40–60%
Succinic ↑
Fumaric ↑
Malic ↑
Krebs cycle
backing up
✗ What you feel when mitochondria fail
✗ Fatigue disproportionate to activity
✗ Post-exertional malaise (PEM) — CFS pattern
✗ Brain fog · poor concentration
✗ Cold intolerance · poor exercise tolerance
OAT MARKERS — ELEVATED (KREBS DISRUPTION)
↑ Citric, Succinic, Fumaric, Malic → backed up cycle
↑ Pyruvate/Lactate ratio → impaired entry to Krebs
THE ORGANIC ACIDS TEST — WHAT ELSE IT REVEALS
Mitochondria
Krebs cycle acids
Energy production
Neurotransmitters
HVA (dopamine)
5-HIAA (serotonin)
VMA (norepinephrine)
Gut Overgrowth
Arabinose (yeast)
HPHPA (Clostridia)
B-Vitamins
B12 (methylmalonic)
B6 (xanthurenate)
Folate (FIGLU)
Detox / Oxidative
Pyroglutamate
(glutathione status)
8-OHdG (DNA damage)
DETECTIVE HEALTH · STEPHEN DUNCAN MSC FDN-P · ORGANIC ACIDS TESTING · DETECTIVE-HEALTH.COM