Hormonal
Chronic exposure to an obesogenic diet induces low-grade systemic inflammation that causes loss of muscle integrity (intramuscular lipid accumulation, fibrosis, and reduced satellite cell function), which acts as a central driver for musculoskeletal diseases including osteoarthritis, tendinopathy, and osteoporosis.
If you have obesity and joint/muscle pain, weight loss alone may not restore function because the underlying muscle tissue may be damaged by inflammation (fat infiltration, fibrosis). Focus on preserving or rebuilding muscle quality through resistance training and anti-inflammatory dietary patterns, not just weight reduction, as muscle integrity appears to be the key to preventing musculoskeletal disease.
We propose the overarching hypothesis that there is a central role for muscle damage with chronic exposure to an obesity-inducing diet. The inflammatory consequence of diet and muscle dysregulation can result in dysregulated tissue repair and an imbalance toward negative adaptation, resulting in regulatory failure and other musculoskeletal tissue damage.
Why this rating
The paper is a review summarizing preclinical models (rats, mice, rabbits) and some human observational data; it lacks large-scale randomized controlled trials in humans.
Source
Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Musculoskeletal Disease: Common Inflammatory Pathways Suggest a Central Role for Loss of Muscle Integrity
Kelsey H. Collins et al. · Frontiers in Physiology · 2018
DOI 10.3389/fphys.2018.00112
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