1 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: Everyone, Welcome to another edition of Wisdom Wednesdays. And today 2 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: is a very special day because it is the fifth 3 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: birthday of the podcast. I could not believe it. I 4 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: actually thought I'd been doing it for about three years 5 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: and I just checked and it's actually five years, which 6 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: is crazy. So thank you to you, my listeners, because 7 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: you're the guys that keep me doing this by listening 8 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: in every week. And it would be great, a great 9 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: birthday present for the podcast if you wouldn't mind jumping 10 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: on to your favorite podcast player, whether it's Spotify, Apple Podcasts, 11 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: or whatever and leaving a review, because reviews actually really 12 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: really helped the podcast to get up the charts, and 13 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: that helps for a whole heap of reasons that I'm 14 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: not really going to go into right now, but let's 15 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: on with the podcast. This week, we are going to 16 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: talk about something that I think is both fascinating and 17 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 1: super important for anybody that's interested in our long term health. Now, 18 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:15,119 Speaker 1: we all know that carrying too much body fat can 19 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: be bad for your health, but we all know that 20 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,479 Speaker 1: obesity is linked to a whole host of chronic diseases. 21 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: But here's the kicker. Not all fat is created equal, 22 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: where fat is stored in your body has a massive 23 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,960 Speaker 1: impact on how dangerous it is. And you may already 24 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: know about some stuff such as visceral fat, which is 25 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: the fat that is underneath your stomach muscles and around 26 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: your organ You may know that that is a bad 27 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: or really bad fat. But even more interestingly, recent research 28 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: has shown that fat that builds up inside your muscles, 29 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: called intermuscular fat or imat, might be a very significant 30 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: play in the development of insulin resistance, type two diabetes, 31 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 1: chronic kidney disease, and other metabolic diseases, and even physical 32 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: decline as we age. So let's break that all down. Firstly, 33 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: let's do a quick recap on visceral fat, which has 34 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: been the usual suspect for many, many years. And as 35 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: I said, it's the stuff you can't pinch. It's underneath 36 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: your stomach muscles, it's around your organs, inside your abdominal cavity, 37 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: and it's long been known to be a major risk 38 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: factor for metabolic disease. And unlike the fact that you 39 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: can pinch under your skin, which is known as subcutaneous fat, 40 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: visceral fat is more metabolically active and more dangerous. It's 41 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: actually been called an endocrine organ because it produces its 42 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: own hormones called arapokins. It also releases inflammatory substances, and 43 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,679 Speaker 1: it floods the liver with fatty acids which to interfere 44 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,399 Speaker 1: with blood sugar control and your cholesterol levels. And it's 45 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: linked long linked with insulin resistance taptoo, diabetes, heart disease, 46 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: and even dementia. The good news is that visceral fat 47 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:17,639 Speaker 1: tends to respond well to lifestyle changes. Things like regular exercise, 48 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: better sleep, and cutting back on shit food all help 49 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: to reduce it. But more recently, researchers have turned their 50 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 1: attention to this other type of fat that may be 51 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: even sneakier because it's hiding in places we don't normally look, 52 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: which is inside our muscles. Now here's where the research 53 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 1: gets a bit nuanced. You might have heard the term 54 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: before intra muscular fat and immediately thought, m that's gotta 55 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: be bad, But it's not always bad. It turns out 56 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: that there are two million types of fat that show 57 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: up in muscle. One is intra mile cellular lipets or ims. 58 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: These are tiny droplets of fat inside your muscle sells themselves. 59 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: And then the other one is intermuscular at a post 60 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:14,559 Speaker 1: tissue or IMAT. That's larger fat sales that are between 61 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 1: the muscle fibers and the fascia that holds those fibers together. Now, 62 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: the first one, the imcl those little droplets of fat 63 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: inside the muscle sales. That's actually normally. In fact, it's 64 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: been known for quite a few years that athletes often 65 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: have higher levels of this type of fat, and it's 66 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: because they burn it as a fuel source during exercise. 67 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 1: So with that regular training, the body adapts by folk 68 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: storing it close to the muscle so that it's easily 69 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,840 Speaker 1: accessible fuel for muscles that are contracting and need energy. 70 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: And that's pretty cool, and this is known as the 71 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: athletes paradox. Fit. People can have more intramuscular fat in 72 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: inside their muscle sales, but they are still very insulin sensitive. 73 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: They don't have diabetes, and it's because they use that 74 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 1: fat efficiently, and the body's just very clever because it's going, hey, 75 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: you're doing lots of exercise, so I'm going to store 76 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: energy as close to possible to the muscles so that 77 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: you can have it straight on hand. Now, the second 78 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 1: type of fat that I'm at the intermuscular out of 79 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 1: post tissue. That's where you've start to see trouble. It, 80 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 1: as I've said, builds up between muscle fibers, and it's 81 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: a bit like marbling in a steak, right. It's not 82 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: used for fuel like IMCL. Instead, it tends to accumulate 83 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: in people who are sedentary, people who are overweight, and 84 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: people who have insulin resistance. Now, what's concerning about i'm 85 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 1: at is that it appears to interfere with muscle function. 86 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: So unlike the other one, which helps the muscle, this 87 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 1: imat actually impis the muscle. It increases inflammation, and it 88 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: drives insulin resistance. So not only does it empower how 89 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: your muscles work, but also impers your metabolism and increases 90 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:16,239 Speaker 1: your risk of developing metabolic disease. And unlike visceral fat, 91 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 1: i'm at is often overlooked. You won't see it on 92 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 1: a scale or on BMI, and you won't even see 93 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 1: it in a DEXA scan. And if you're a regular 94 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: listener to this podcast, you'll know that I am a 95 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: big fan of a DEXA scan because not only do 96 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:32,600 Speaker 1: they show your bunk density, they show you the amount 97 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: of muscle that you have. They also show the amount 98 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: of visceral fat that you have. It turns out that 99 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: i'm AT only turns up in MRI scans or CT scans, 100 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 1: and that's where researchers are now seeing a very clear 101 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: association between higher i'm AT levels and poorer blood sugar control, 102 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: even after accounting for other fat stores like belly fat. 103 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: And in one twenty twenty through three review, researchers noted 104 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 1: that intermuscular fat is strongly correlated with insulin resistance, and 105 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: even worse, it's appears that it interferes with how muscles 106 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: regenerate and function as we age, So it's not just 107 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: a metabolic issue, it's a physical one too. And then 108 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: think about this, This is just a nasty, vicious loop. 109 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: If it's impairing our insulin resistance and then it's interfering 110 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: with our muscles. Muscle is the biggest gluco sink. It's 111 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: the thing that stops you becoming insulin resistant when you're 112 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: using it. So if it's then interfering with our muscle functions, 113 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: then your insulin resistance gets worse and that has a 114 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: negative effect. Then you get more of this intermuscular fat 115 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: around a nasty, vicious cycle. So what's the takeaway. Well, 116 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 1: while there's been a long focus on visceral fat, and 117 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: rightly so, i'm at, it appears might be just as important, 118 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: especially for people with obesity, type two diabetes or scarcopania 119 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: that aids related muscle loss. And while it's a new 120 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: area of research, it does suggest that we shouldn't be 121 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: thinking about fat as a number on a scale. Where 122 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: the fat is stored and how your body is using 123 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: it really matters. Visceral fat drives liver dysfunction and inflammation, 124 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: imat interferes with muscle function and insulin sensitivity. Subcutaneous fat 125 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: the stuff you can pinch, it is the least harmful. 126 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: So what do we do with all of this? Well, 127 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: the good news is that the strategies for reducing visceral 128 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: fat actually work with i'm at as well. So the 129 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: first one is exercised and especially both in resistance training 130 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 1: and high intensity interval training. They help to reduce fat 131 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 1: infiltration in the muscle and improves muscle quality as well 132 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: as reduced visceral fat. And then a diet low in 133 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:09,239 Speaker 1: you've guessed that it ultra processed foods, refined carbs, added sugars, 134 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: and crabby foods with things like a multifiers and flavor 135 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 1: enhancers and preservatives. They, if you reduce them, will reduce 136 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: your overall fat and keep insulin sensitivity in check. And 137 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: then it's about prioritizing sleep. Poor sleep is very strongly 138 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: linked to fat accumulation in both visceral areas in the 139 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: belly and in the muscles. And then it's about tracking 140 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: your muscle mass, not just fat mass. This is about 141 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: lifting heavy shit because strong, healthy muscle helps protect you 142 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: against these effects and a whole host of other chronic diseases. Remember, 143 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: it's not the fat that's the enemy. It's the dysfunctional 144 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:00,960 Speaker 1: fat in the wrong places. Next time you hear somebody 145 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: saying just lose we it, remind them it's not just 146 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: about how much fat you have, it's where you carry it, 147 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:11,959 Speaker 1: and that visceral fat and the intermuscular fat the i'm at. 148 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: These are the twin drivers of metabolic dysfunction and many 149 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 1: lifestyle diseases. So that's it for this week, folks, catch 150 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:21,559 Speaker 1: you next time.