Hormonal
Higher intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) content in skeletal muscle myotubes is positively associated with higher insulin sensitivity, greater mitochondrial capacity (ATPmax), and higher physical activity levels, contradicting the linear assumption that high muscle fat causes insulin resistance.
High levels of fat stored inside your muscle cells do not automatically mean you are unhealthy or insulin resistant. In fact, in physically active people, higher muscle fat is linked to better blood sugar control and better heart/lung fitness. Focus on physical activity and mitochondrial health rather than fearing muscle fat, as the context (activity level) determines whether that fat is a fuel source or a metabolic burden.
Myotubes cultured from physically active donors had higher lipid content... Lipid content in myotubes was not associated with IMCL in muscle tissue but importantly, correlated with in vivo measures of ATPmax... insulin sensitivity... and PAL... These results indicate that cultured human myotubes can be used in mechanistic studies to study the in vitro impact of interventions on phenotypes such as mitochondrial capacity, insulin sensitivity, and physical activity.
Why this rating
Strong correlation data (r=0.74-0.92) from a controlled study with extensive phenotyping (clamps, MRS), though it is observational/correlational regarding the donor phenotypes.
Source
Lipid in skeletal muscle myotubes is associated to the donors' insulin sensitivity and physical activity phenotypes
Sudip Bajpeyi et al. · Obesity · 2013
DOI 10.1002/oby.20556
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