# What are the benefits of having more intramuscular fat?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-benefits-of-having-more-intramuscular-fat/804336>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 12, 2017, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-benefits-of-having-more-intramuscular-fat/804336 "2017-12-12T23:02:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Contemplation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Contemplation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contemplation)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-benefits-of-having-more-intramuscular-fat/804336/1 "2017-12-12T23:02:53Z")

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Intramuscular fat is that fat that your body stores inside your muscles.  
It is also white stuff you see when you look at a marbled cut of beef or pork.

Everyone has intramuscular fat, and most fitness sites only talk about how bad it is. It allegedly makes your muscles weaker, stiffer, and slower.  
But there has to be some benefit to it, why else would our bodies put fat inside our muscles?

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-benefits-of-having-more-intramuscular-fat/804336/2 "2017-12-13T00:17:06Z")

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Simpler and faster transport of fatty acid from the fat cells to the muscles following exercise. The body doesn’t care how buff we are, so long as we can get the job done.

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**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-benefits-of-having-more-intramuscular-fat/804336/3 "2017-12-13T14:45:42Z")

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I believe that “marbling” enhances flavor when cooking… er, sorry, wrong forum.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-benefits-of-having-more-intramuscular-fat/804336/4 "2017-12-13T14:52:43Z")

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It’s one of the differences between dark meat and white meat, which humans have also, but unlike chickens humans vary in the composition of their muscles. White meat is the leaner meat with much less intramuscular fat.

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**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-benefits-of-having-more-intramuscular-fat/804336/5 "2017-12-13T14:57:31Z")

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Is it really the case that intramuscular fat makes a muscle weaker or slower? I have only heard the opposite - that fat adds to the intramuscular leverage and thus improves strength. Not as much as a corresponding amount of increased muscle fiber, of course.

Regards,  
Shodan

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**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-benefits-of-having-more-intramuscular-fat/804336/6 "2017-12-14T02:07:54Z")

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> [@dolphinboy](#):
>
> I believe that “marbling” enhances flavor when cooking… er, sorry, wrong forum.

Why no, please, do continue