ABSTRACT
With obesity, there are multiple and complex aberrations in cellular metabolism that lead to increased health risk. In the reference male (75 kg), approximately 40% of body mass is skeletal muscle, whereas in the reference female (58 kg), this tissue contributes approximately 29% of total body mass. Even with severe obesity, muscle contributes approximately 25% of total body weight. Skeletal muscle, by virtue of its predominance and capacities for energy production and storage, can therefore dramatically inuence whole-body metabolism. This chapter describes alterations in protein, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism that are evident in skeletal muscle with obesity. It also discusses how muscle in and of itself sends signals through myokines that can inuence substrate utilization and storage.
