Hormonal
Increased intramyocellular ceramide content in obese insulin-resistant humans is associated with impaired insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation and reduced glucose uptake.
In obese individuals with insulin resistance, high levels of a specific fat molecule called ceramide in muscle cells interfere with insulin's ability to signal for glucose uptake. This suggests that managing intramuscular lipid composition, particularly ceramides, is crucial for improving insulin sensitivity, potentially more so than just total fat mass.
We conclude that obesity is associated with increased intramyocellular ceramide content. This twofold increase in ceramide may be involved in the decrease in Akt phosphorylation observed after insulin infusion and could theoretically play a role in the reduced ability of insulin to stimulate glucose uptake in skeletal muscle from obese subjects.
Why this rating
Human clinical study with rigorous methodology (hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps, muscle biopsies, mass spectrometry), though observational in nature regarding the lipid levels.
Source
Ceramide Content Is Increased in Skeletal Muscle From Obese Insulin-Resistant Humans
John M. Adams et al. · Diabetes · 2004
DOI 10.2337/diabetes.53.1.25
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