Skeletal muscle, physical activity and health

The metabolic capacity of skeletal muscle plays a significant role for insu lin sensitivity and the brood lipid profile. The metabolic capacity of the muscle is a function of the individual's physical activity level. This is a lso true for the content of type IIa muscle fibres, which is reduced, and t he number of capillaries, which is elevated with muscle usage. Several of t hese skeletal muscle features are risk factors for or linked with life-styl e induced diseases such as type II diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipemia and obesity. he central role of the skeletal muscle and its functional metabol ic capacity for life style diseases highlights the importance of people mai ntaining daily physical activity. This article focuses on the link between the metabolic capacity of skeletal muscle and the metabolic syndrome and briefly discusses the explanations f or this relationship. As one important aspect if skeletal muscle has a high capacity for lipid oxidation, then more saturated fatty acids are oxidised and more unsaturated fatty acids are built in the phospholipid fraction of the plasma membrane, giving it more fluidity and improved insulin sensitiv ity. Moreover, the article points at the role of these fatty acids in activ ating genes via the PPAR-receptor system essential for enzyme and transport proteins in the lipid metabolism.