A board certified internal medicine physician discusses how the same insulin molecule is able to clear 2-3 times more glucose from your blood when it binds to receptors on muscle cells instead of fat cells. Also, fat stored in the visceral (abdominal) compartment is more likely to contribute to insulin resistance than fat stored in the subcutaneous compartment due to differences in blood flow. The relative amount of muscle and fat (visceral and subcutaneous) in your body can determine how effective your insulin is.