IMPORTANT UPDATE: This is the original LMHR page, but we have since published several peer reviewed papers on both the Lean Mass Hyper-responder phenotype and the Lipid Energy Model, which you can find here.

Lean Mass Hyper-responder Overview

Generally speaking, Lean Mass Hyper-responders (LMHRs) have the following lipid profile:

• LDL of 200 mg/dL (5.17 mmol/L) or higher
• HDL of 80 mg/dL (2.07 mmol/L) or higher
• Triglycerides of 70 mg/dL (0.79 mmol/L) or lower

This pattern was first discussed in the original Are You a Lean Mass Hyper-responder articles from July of 2017.

Common Characteristics of a Lean Mass Hyper-responder

• Often lean, with low body fat (≤20% men, ≤23% women).
• Usually moderate to very fit. Many are very athletic.
• Usually very low carb (typically <25g net carbs)

Other possible commonalities:

• Often lower BHB (Blood Ketones) levels than sedentary low carbers (often 0.3-1.0 mmol/L)
• Generally higher fasting glucose, possibly through adaptive glucose sparing (often 90-105 mg/dL)
• Greater difficulty doing multi-day fasting

Why This Profile Might Make Sense

On this blog and through many articles I discuss the Lipid Energy Model. Fairly soon I’ll have a streamlined post that will tie it together for lay people. For now, you may want to watch the linked video above as I describe it briefly.

Or for a more layperson-friendly series, check out A Simple Guide to Cholesterol on Low Carb

Also check out our FAQ as well for more information.

Is This Profile Risky

The short answer is: we don’t know.

I’m currently working with several different people across many disciplines to initiate studies with LMHRs in particular, as I think they may hold the answer to some very important questions on the subject of cholesterol.

Facebook Group

We also have a LMHR Facebook group that we invite everyone to join, whether you are a LMHR or just interested in the research.