Journal Article

Body composition and body fat distribution in tissue-specific insulin resistance and in response to a 12-week isocaloric dietary macronutrient intervention

Gijbels, Anouk, Linge, Jennifer, Afman, Lydia A., Trouwborst, Inez, Jardon, Kelly M., Feskens, Edith J.M., Blaak, Ellen E., Goossens, Gijs H., Hul, Gabby

2024

Overview

Background Body composition and body fat distribution are important predictors of cardiometabolic diseases. The etiology of cardiometabolic diseases is heterogenous, and partly driven by inter-individual differences in tissue-specific insulin sensitivity. Objectives To investigate (1) the associations between body composition and whole-body, liver and muscle insulin sensitivity, and (2) changes in body composition and insulin sensitivity and their relationship after a 12-week isocaloric diet high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids (HMUFA) or a low-fat, high-protein, high-fiber (LFHP) diet. Methods This subcohort analysis of the PERSON study includes 93 individuals (53% women, BMI 25–40 kg/m2, 40–75 years) who participated in this randomized intervention study. At baseline and after 12 weeks of following the LFHP, or HMUFA diet, we performed a 7-point oral glucose tolerance test to assess whole-body, liver, and muscle insulin sensitivity, and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging to determine body composition and body fat distribution. Both diets are within the guidelines of healthy nutrition. Results At baseline, liver fat content was associated with worse liver insulin sensitivity (β [95%CI]; 0.12 [0.01; 0.22]). Only in women, thigh muscle fat content was inversely related to muscle insulin sensitivity (-0.27 [-0.48; -0.05]). Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was inversely associated with whole-body, liver, and muscle insulin sensitivity. Both diets decreased VAT, abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (aSAT), and liver fat, but not whole-body and tissue-specific insulin sensitivity with no differences between diets. Waist circumference, however, decreased more following the LFHP diet as compared to the HMUFA diet (-3.0 vs. -0.5 cm, respectively). After the LFHP but not HMUFA diet, improvements in body composition were positively associated with improvements in whole-body and liver insulin sensitivity. Conclusions Liver and muscle insulin sensitivity are distinctly associated with liver and muscle fat accumulation. Although both LFHP and HMUFA diets improved in body fat, VAT, aSAT, and liver fat, only LFHP-induced improvements in body composition are associated with improved insulin sensitivity. Trial registration NCT03708419 (clinicaltrials.gov).

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Abdomen / Adipose tissue / Analysis / Anti-satellite weapons / Body composition / Body fat / Body fat distribution / Body mass index / Carbohydrates / Clinical Nutrition / clinical trials / Complications and side effects / Development and progression / Dextrose / Diabetes / Diet / Dietary fiber / Dietary intervention / Disease / Energy / etiology / Fatty acids / Gender differences / Glucose / Glucose tolerance / Glucose tolerance tests / Health aspects / High fat diet / High protein diet / Insulin resistance / Isocaloric / lipid content / Liver / Low fat diet / Low protein diet / Magnetic resonance imaging / magnetism / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Metabolic Diseases / Metabolism / muscles / Musculoskeletal system / Nutrition research / Obesity / Physiological aspects / Prevention / Proteins / Risk factors / Type 2 diabetes / Unsaturated fatty acids / waist circumference / Whole-body and tissue-specific insulin resistance / Whole-body MRI