We hypothesized that the vasodilation observed during insulin stimulation is closely coupled to the rate of glucose metabolism. Lean (L, n = 13), obese nondiabetic (OB, n = 13), and obese type 2 diabetic subjects (Type 2 DM, n = 16) were studied. Leg blood flow (LBF) was examined under conditions of euglycemic hyperinsulinemia (EH) and hyperglycemic hyperinsulinemia (HH), which produced a steady-state whole body glucose disposal rate (GDR) of ∼2,000 μmol · m⁻² · min⁻¹. At this GDR, under both conditions, subjects across the range of insulin sensitivity exhibited equivalent LBF (l/min EH: L, 0.42 ± 0.03; OB, 0.43 ± 0.03; Type 2 DM, 0.38 ± 0.07; P= 0.72 by ANOVA. HH: L, 0.44 ± 0.04; OB, 0.39 ± 0.05; Type 2 DM, 0.41 ± 0.04; P = 0.71). The continuous relationship between LBF and GDR did not differ across subject groups [slope × 10⁻⁵l/(μmol · m⁻² · min⁻¹) by ANOVA. EH: L, 8.6; OB, 9.2; Type 2 DM, 7.9; P = 0.91. HH: L, 4.2; OB, 2.5; Type 2 DM, 4.1; P = 0.77], although this relationship did differ between the EH and HH conditions (P = 0.001). These findings support a physiological coupling of LBF and insulin-mediated glucose metabolism. The mechanism(s) linking substrate delivery and metabolism appears to be intact in insulin-resistant states.