Do fat cells do more than store energy?
For a long time fat tissue and their cells were viewed as somewhat inert containers of energy storage. However, today we know that adipose tissue functions as a gland with the capability to release a variety of factors relative to its size and endowed energy. As mentioned previously, some of these factors may promote the formation of more fat cells. Perhaps some of the most interesting released factors are those that circulate to the brain and provide insight to our energy storage status. One of the most important factors seems to be the hormone leptin. Fat cells release more and more leptin into our circulation when fat cells accumulate more fat. Leptin then signals the brain to reduce appetite. In addition, as fat cells swell due to excessive calorie consumption, some of the chemicals they release can promote the development and worsening of diabetes, high blood pressure and other medical conditions.
Can fat help protect the body?
Fat tissue provides some protection to various tissues in the body. For instance, fat tissue around our internal organs provides some cushioning. This helps protect the organs against external trauma. Furthermore, the subcutaneous layer of fat storage also provides some cushioning, which protects muscle. Subcutaneous fat is not well vasculated, meaning that there aren’t a lot of blood vessels in that tissue relative to other tissue. Meanwhile, skeletal muscle is heavily endowed with blood vessels which provide O2 and energy nutrients during activity and exercise. In the absence of subcutaneous fat it would be easier to rupture smaller blood vessels in skeletal muscle, which then would be evident in bruises. As an example, prior to competition, bodybuilders will be very cautious not to bang into things or play contact sports (rugby, football, roller hockey, etc.). As they attempt to “lean out” for the competition, they reduce their subcutaneous fat to nadir levels, which would allow them to bruise more easily. This then would impact their aesthetic presentation during the bodybuilding competition.
Does body fat help our body conserve body heat?
Subcutaneous fat not only helps protect skeletal muscle from trauma but it also helps conserve our body heat. This is because fat tissue is a relatively good insulating tissue. Maintaining our body temperature allows cell operations to function optimally. Interestingly, too little subcutaneous body fat might allow for greater heat losses daily. This might partly explain why a leaner person may have a higher energy expenditure than another person having the same body weight but who is less lean. Following this line of thinking it would be easier for a leaner person to maintain their body weight than a heavier person. We’ll taker a closer look at this in Dieting.
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