Insulin sensitivity and fat mass in young male sedentary adults

Abstract

We live in an obesogenic environment, spending a lot of time sitting neglecting physical activity. This study aims to determine the impact of a sedentary lifestyle on insulin sensitivity by comparing insulin sensitivity of healthy athletes and sedentary subjects. Twelve athletes and 12 sedentary subjects underwent a two-step hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp test to assess insulin sensitivity and a DEXA scan to assess body fat mass. Insulin sensitivity was significantly lower in sedentary subjects (p=0.009) and fat mass negatively correlated with insulin sensitivity (r=-0.57, p=0.005). This study shows that healthy sedentary subjects have an impaired insulin metabolism compared to trained athletes.