Nerd Alert!! Studied the Krebs Cycle? This is Friggin’ Awesome!

I recently stumbled upon this post from way back in 2013 (can you believe ICA has been posting awesome stuff for over a decade?). It’s a perfect reminder of the hidden treasures in our archives! This hilarious and nerdy gem deserves a fresh spotlight—it’s time to bring it out and bless the indoor cycling world with its brilliance once again. Trust me, this one is pure fun and guaranteed to put a smile on your face while tapping into your inner science geek. Get ready to laugh, learn, and maybe even sing along!

At the risk of violating my annual quota of exclamation points (sorry, Shari—my editor who constantly reminds me to rein it in!), I just couldn’t help myself. I’ve stumbled upon something so delightfully nerdy that it demanded excessive punctuation. Brace yourself—it’s a parody of Macklemore’s Thrift Shop… about the Krebs Cycle. Yes, you read that right. And it’s every bit as gloriously geeky as you’d hope.

Now, I realize this might only resonate deeply with those of us who have spent sleepless nights grappling with metabolic pathways (thankfully in my distant past). But even if you only have a passing interest in biochemistry or exercise physiology, this is worth a watch. As an indoor cycling instructor, understanding the basics of metabolic processes is like knowing the engine specs of a car—you don’t need to memorize every molecule, but it’s handy to grasp how the system works to fine-tune your rides.

Back in my exercise physiology days, we didn’t have hilarious videos like this to make memorizing biochemical pathways less painful. (I still get flashbacks of scribbling acetyl-CoA on index cards.) If this song had existed, it would have made learning infinitely more fun—and far less painful.

These brilliant biochemistry students from the University of Ottawa have turned academic drudgery into a masterpiece. Seriously, they’ll never forget the Krebs cycle—or glycolysis—after this.

I even consulted ICA contributor and exercise physiology expert Dr. Jennifer Klau, Ph.D., who summed it up perfectly: “If geek and cool made a movie, this would be the soundtrack.”

My favorite lyric? “CoAs gone, people be like, ‘Aw, he got the succinate.’”

The video is below, along with the full lyrics (because I know you’ll want to sing along). If you’ve ever crammed for an exam memorizing each maddening step of the Krebs cycle, drop a comment and tell us your story. Let’s nerd out together.

Bummer, it’s not on Spotify!

Note that the Krebs Cycle is also known as the Citric Acid Cycle.

Lyrics:

[Hook]

I’m gonna pop some carbs
Only got a lil’ glucose in my pathway
I – I – I’m lazy, lookin’ for some CoA
This is frigging awesome

[Verse 1]

Now I got some glucose; hell yeah, I’m in that prep phase
I’m so pumped; doin’ work with hexokinase
Glucose to the glucose with a number six phosphate
PGI to that fructose 6-phosphate (dayum)
ATP, ADP, phosphofructokinase E,
1,6-bis, FBP, adolase, two GAP;
GAPDH with some PGK & PGM,
3-P to the 2-Phosphoglycerate, and then
(Enolaaaaaaaassseeee)
PEP to Pyruvate! (glycolysis)

[Verse 2]

FAD, NAD bout to go and grab some hydroG
Pumpin’ out all those substrates for some work yeah that’s that energy
shuttlin’ through that mito-C like nobody’s business
what you know about oxidation? biz-NITCH
I’mma do it TCA, I’mma do it TCA
No for real – movin’ on – can I have some A-CoA? (thank-you)
Citrate synthase from that CoA to that citrate
Aconitase, step two; isocitrate
I had some NAD+ (plus), I used some NAD+ (plus)
I made some NADH (Hhhhhhhh), and alpha-ketogluterate (oh snap)
dehydrogenase complex, plus some CoA
CO2, NADH out; succinyl CoA
then I take that GDP, add a P (GTP), hold on wait
CoAs gone, people be like “Aw, he got the succinate”

[Hook x2]

[Verse 3]

What you know about intermediary metabolism? (not much)
What you knowin’ about what’s goin’ on in your skin? (uhhhhh)
I’m diggin, I’m diggin, I’m lookin’ for some FAD
Step 6, succinate dehydrogenase, that’s the key (zing)
Movin’ on, reducin’ that FAD up to FADH2
fumarate, fumarase that’s the enzyme now go shift your gaze
to malate (okay); step 8, malate dehydrogenase
finish off; NADH, oxaloacetate (ahhhhh)

[Hook x2]

[Bridge x2]

That’s how Kreb’s cycle goes
If you didn’t doze now you know
This is how TCA flows
BCH actually doesn’t blow

[Hook]

(alpha-ketogluteraaaaaaaaaate)