A respiratory quotient of 0.7 means

Respiratory Quotient (RQ) i. Respiratory quotient is defined as the ratio of volume of CO2 produced in L/g to the oxygen consumed in L/g. ii. RQ of carbohydrates is 1; RQ of fats is 0.7; that of proteins is 0.8 For a mixed diet it is between 0.7 and 1, often around 0.82-0.85. When the rate of utilization of fat increases in relation to carbohydrates, RQ falls. This happens in diabetes mellitus when utilization of carbohydrate is reduced. The RQ is lowest when ketolysis is very active. iv. The energy produced is approximately equal to 20 kJ/L of oxygen for all metabolic fuels (Table 36.1, last column).Ref: DM Vasudevan Textbook of Medical Biochemistry, 6th edition, page no: 432