INS and metabolic syndrome: The main findings from this study were that C-HFS rats: (1) had a greater body mass and percent body fat; (2) showed early signs of metabolic syndrome (i.e. elevated LDL cholesterol and reduced insulin sensitivity); (3) demonstrated potential impairment in muscle remodeling; (4) produced lower relative muscle force; and (5) had a shift in the FLR, indicating that the medial gastrocnemius operated at shorter muscle fiber lengths when compared to C-CHOW rats.