How pregnancy reshapes metabolism: Lessons from skeletal muscle in obesity and gestational diabetes
By
Kristen Boyle, PhD
Summary
This article explores pregnancy as a profound metabolic challenge, examining how skeletal muscle adapts to the dramatic physiological changes of gestation. It covers how blood volume, cardiac output, breathing rate, lung capacity, and kidney function all increase significantly. The piece focuses on the metabolic shifts — early insulin sensitivity for nutrient storage followed by later insulin resistance to fuel fetal growth — and investigates how these processes are disrupted in women with obesity and gestational diabetes, using skeletal muscle as a key tissue of study.
Source
bskyHow pregnancy reshapes metabolism: Lessons from skeletal muscle in obesity and gestational diabeteskristenboylephd.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledPregnancy is one of the most demanding metabolic challenges the body will ever face.
Blood volume and cardiac output increase by up to 50%.
Early in pregnancy, insulin sensitivity increases to store carbohydrates and fats, while later, insulin resistance rises to ensure plenty of glucose for the rapidly growing fetus.
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