Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Study of In Vivo Glucose Metabolism in High-fat Diet-fed Mice Using Oral Glucose Tolerance Test OGTT and Insulin Tolerance Test ITT
Published on: January 7, 2018
High dietary protein intake, reducing or eliciting insulin resistance?
A Rietman1, J Schwarz1, D Tomé2
1Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Dietary proteins have an insulinotropic effect and thus promote insulin secretion, which indeed leads to enhanced glucose clearance from the blood. In the long term, however, a high dietary protein intake is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), a prominent group of amino acids, were recently identified to be associated with diabetes. Observational data and intervention studies do not point in the same direction regarding the effect of protein intake on insulin sensitivity and diabetes risk. Therefore, the first aim of this review will be to discuss human studies addressing high dietary protein intake and insulin action, with special attention for BCAA. In the second part, we will highlight the (patho) physiological consequences of high-protein diets regarding insulin action, in particular the role of the mechanistic target of the rapamycin pathway.
Related Concept Videos
Type II Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways
Insulin: Dosing Regimen and Adverse Effects
The basal dose constitutes about 40%-50% of the total daily dose, with the rest as premeal insulin. The mealtime insulin dose should mirror...
Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...
Overview of Protein Metabolism
Amino acids play various roles in the body once they are absorbed into cells. They are restructured...
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Biguanides and Glitazones

