SLC2A4 and type 2 diabetes mellitus: Western blot analyses of proteins involved in insulin receptor pathways also demonstrated no differences between athletes and patients with type 2 diabetes including the trans-membrane glucose transporters (GLUT1 and GLUT4), phosphorylated insulin receptor (pIR), insulin receptor substrate (IRS), phosphorylated S6 kinase protein (pS6), phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK), phosphorylated or total protein kinase B, phosphorylated or total 5’ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase or their phosphorylated to total ratios, all assessed in basal state (Table 4).