The rapid rise in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes has significantly contributed to the increasing global burden of noncommunicable diseases. Insulin resistance is a major underpinning etiology of both obesity and type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is characterized by a reduced response of skeletal, liver, and fat tissues to the actions of insulin hormone. Although detailed mechanisms implicated in the development of insulin resistance remain plausible, skeletal muscles have been identified to play an integral role in the improvement of insulin sensitivity in the diseased state. The effective modulation of glucose and fatty acid metabolism in the skeletal muscle through exercise or by certain therapeutics has been associated with reversal of insulin resistance and amelioration of diabetes associated complications such as inflammation and oxidative stress. This chapter will briefly discuss the role of glucose and fatty acid metabolism in the development of insulin resistance in the skeletal muscle.
Part of the book: Muscle Cell and Tissue