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Insulin Resistance and Exercise Essay

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This is a discussion of research article listed at end of paper

When muscle is damaged, there is a general resistance to insulin. The physiological stress that is associated with damaged muscle impairs how insulin stimulates IRS-1, PI 3-kinase, and Akt-kinase. This presumably leads to less glucose absorption. Previous studies have shown that there has been temporary insulin resistance due to the physiological stress associated with muscle damage. However, the molecular mechanisms by which physiological stress induces insulin resistance is not known.

The many effects that insulin has on metabolism and cellular growth begin when insulin binds to its receptor at the cell membrane. The insulin signals from the insulin receptor is …show more content…

This has been associated with elevated production of mononuclear cell derived cytokines. This includes tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 6 and interleukin 1-Beta. TNF-alpha impairs insulin signal transduction in muscle cells. * Also, in vivo administration of TNF-alpha in animals imparis glucose uptake by the whole body and skeletal muscle.

Supporting the data on the link between TNF-alpha and insulin is the fact that neutralization of TNF-alpha in animal models of insulin resistance resulted in a significant increase in insulin action. This has led to intense speculation that TNF-alpha may play a role in type 2 diabetes.

This study explored the potential role of TNF-alpha in the inhibition of insulin action after limited human muscle damage.

The purpose of this study was to find the effects of muscle damage on insulin signal transduction at the level of the enzymes, which are critical steps in the regulation of insulin action and insulin-mediated glucose uptake. Also, a first attempt was made in finding the extent to which TNF-alpha is associated with temporary insulin resistance after muscle damage in human subjects.

Cell signaling is a burgeoning new field of interest in biology. The study of this signaling reveals the nature of the infinitesimal, and the manner in which our cells coordinate to properly undergo certain functions.

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