Related Experiment Videos
Lean body mass in twins
G B Forbes1, E P Sauer, L R Weitkamp
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, NY 14642, USA.
Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental
|November 1, 1995
Summary
Lean body mass (LBM) shows significant genetic influence, with heritability higher than body fat. Environmental factors also impact LBM, particularly in thinner individuals.
Area of Science:
- Human genetics
- Body composition analysis
- Twin studies
Background:
- Understanding the heritability of body composition is crucial for metabolic and nutritional research.
- Twin studies provide a powerful model for dissecting genetic and environmental contributions to complex traits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic and environmental influences on lean body mass (LBM).
- To compare the heritability of LBM with that of body fat.
- To examine the relationship between weight variation and LBM variation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized potassium-40 counting to determine lean body mass.
- Compared intrapair variances in lean body mass and body fat between monozygous (MZ) and dizygous (DZ) twins.
- Analyzed correlations between intrapair differences in LBM and weight.
Main Results:
- Lean body mass (LBM) demonstrated a significant genetic influence, with higher heritability compared to body fat.
- Intrapair variances for LBM were considerably smaller than those for body fat.
- A correlation was observed between intrapair LBM and weight differences, indicating environmental impact.
- Weight variation influenced LBM variation more in leaner individuals.
Conclusions:
- Lean body mass (LBM) is substantially influenced by genetic factors.
- Environmental factors play a significant role in modulating LBM, especially in relation to weight changes.
- The interplay between genetics and environment shapes overall body composition.