Research

Energy balance

In well-controlled type 2 diabetes, muscle mitochondrial ATP synthetic flux is reduced and fails to increase in response to insulin stimulation, independent of glucose transport/phosphorylation rates.

For individuals with well-controlled Type 2 Diabetes, standard insulin therapy may not fully restore muscle mitochondrial efficiency (ATP production) compared to healthy individuals, even if blood sugar is managed. This suggests that focusing solely on glucose levels might miss underlying mitochondrial inefficiencies. Prioritizing physical activity and managing lipid availability (via diet) may help support mitochondrial function, as these factors were identified as key determinants of ATP flux in this population.

GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
Patients with well-controlled T2DM feature slightly lower flux through muscle ATP synthesis, which occurs independently of glucose transport /phosphorylation and lipid deposition but is determined by lipid availability and insulin sensitivity.
Julia Szendroedi et al. · PLoS Medicine · 2007

Why this rating

Small sample size (n=31) but rigorous methodology (MRS, clamps) and clear statistical significance.

Source

Muscle Mitochondrial ATP Synthesis and Glucose Transport/Phosphorylation in Type 2 Diabetes

Julia Szendroedi et al. · PLoS Medicine · 2007

DOI 10.1371/journal.pmed.0040154

cross_sectional · n=31Cited 247×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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