Glucose intolerance in the West African Diaspora: a skeletal muscle fibre type distribution hypothesis
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Glucose intolerance in the West African Diaspora : a skeletal muscle fibre type distribution hypothesis. / Nielsen, Jannie; Christensen, Dirk Lund.
In: Acta Physiologica (Print), Vol. 202, No. 4, 2011, p. 605-16.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Glucose intolerance in the West African Diaspora
T2 - a skeletal muscle fibre type distribution hypothesis
AU - Nielsen, Jannie
AU - Christensen, Dirk Lund
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - In the United States, Black Americans are largely descendants of WestAfrican slaves; they have a higher relative proportion of obesity and experiencea higher prevalence of diabetes than White Americans. However,obesity rates alone cannot explain the higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes.Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction.We hypothesize that the higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes in AfricanAmericans (as compared to White Americans) is facilitated by an inheritedhigher percentage of skeletal muscle fibre type II and a lower percentage ofskeletal muscle fibre type I. Skeletal muscle fibre type II is less oxidative andmore glycolytic than skeletal muscle fibre type I. Lower oxidative capacity isassociated with lower fat oxidation and a higher disposal of lipids, which arestored as muscular adipose tissue in higher amounts in Black compared toWhite Americans. In physically active individuals, the influence of musclefibre composition will not be as detrimental as in physically inactive individuals.This discrepancy is caused by the plasticity in the skeletal musclefibre characteristics towards a higher activity of oxidative enzymes as aconsequence of physical activity. We suggest that a higher percentage ofskeletal muscle fibre type II combined with physical inactivity has an impacton insulin sensitivity and high prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Blacks of WestAfrican ancestry.
AB - In the United States, Black Americans are largely descendants of WestAfrican slaves; they have a higher relative proportion of obesity and experiencea higher prevalence of diabetes than White Americans. However,obesity rates alone cannot explain the higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes.Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction.We hypothesize that the higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes in AfricanAmericans (as compared to White Americans) is facilitated by an inheritedhigher percentage of skeletal muscle fibre type II and a lower percentage ofskeletal muscle fibre type I. Skeletal muscle fibre type II is less oxidative andmore glycolytic than skeletal muscle fibre type I. Lower oxidative capacity isassociated with lower fat oxidation and a higher disposal of lipids, which arestored as muscular adipose tissue in higher amounts in Black compared toWhite Americans. In physically active individuals, the influence of musclefibre composition will not be as detrimental as in physically inactive individuals.This discrepancy is caused by the plasticity in the skeletal musclefibre characteristics towards a higher activity of oxidative enzymes as aconsequence of physical activity. We suggest that a higher percentage ofskeletal muscle fibre type II combined with physical inactivity has an impacton insulin sensitivity and high prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Blacks of WestAfrican ancestry.
U2 - 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2011.02272.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2011.02272.x
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 21382179
VL - 202
SP - 605
EP - 616
JO - Acta Physiologica
JF - Acta Physiologica
SN - 1748-1708
IS - 4
ER -
ID: 33587432