Effect of 8 weeks of overfeeding on ectopic fat deposition and insulin sensitivity: testing the "adipose tissue expandability" hypothesis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The presence of large subcutaneous adipocytes in obesity has been proposed to be linked with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes through the "adipose tissue expandability" hypothesis, which holds that large adipocytes have a limited capacity for expansion, forcing lipids to be stored in nonadipose ectopic depots (skeletal muscle, liver), where they interfere with insulin signaling. This hypothesis has, however, been largely formulated by cross-sectional findings and to date has not been prospectively demonstrated in the development of insulin resistance in humans.

Research design and methods

Twenty-nine men (26.8 ± 5.4 years old; BMI 25.5 ± 2.3 kg/m(2)) were fed 40% more than their baseline requirement for 8 weeks. Before and after overfeeding, insulin sensitivi

SUBMITTER: Johannsen DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4170127 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature