Macro partitioning
Lower skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase (SMLPL) activity is associated with a higher 24-hour respiratory quotient (RQ), indicating a lower ratio of fat oxidation to carbohydrate oxidation, which predisposes individuals to obesity.
Your body's tendency to store fat versus burn it is partly determined by the activity of an enzyme in your muscles called lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Lower levels of this enzyme mean your body oxidizes less fat and more carbohydrates, which is a known predictor of future weight gain. While you cannot directly 'dose' this enzyme, understanding that muscle metabolism plays a critical role in fat partitioning highlights why some individuals gain weight more easily than others despite similar caloric intakes.
Since SMLPL activity is related to the ratio of whole body fat/CHO oxidation rate, a decreased muscle LPL activity may, therefore, predispose to obesity.
Why this rating
Controlled clinical study with rigorous metabolic ward conditions and direct tissue biopsies, though limited by a small sample size (n=16).
Source
Relationship between skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase activity and 24-hour macronutrient oxidation.
R Ferraro et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 1993
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →