The association between regional body composition and metabolic outcomes in athletes with spinal cord injury

Study design: Cross-sectional study comparing athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI) and age and body mass index matched able-bodied controls (AB). Objective: To examine the impact of exercise training on the relation between whole body, regional and intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) and glucose tolerance, insulin action and lipid profile. Setting: University Research Laboratory, USA. Methods: Fourteen college-aged athletes with SCI (seven men; duration of injury 16.5±5.7 years, level of injury T5-L5) and 17 sedentary AB (eight men) were assessed for body composition via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and magnetic resonance imaging. Insulin sensitivity index (ISI) was determined via 2-h oral glucose challenge; standard lipid profile was determined from fasting blood samples. Results: Although ISI was 30% higher in SCI, there were no significant differences between groups in glucose and insulin responses or in lipid measures. Adjusting for absolute and relative thigh IMAT area, fasting insulin (13.8±5.3 μ IU, 16.3±5.6 μ IU; P