Glucose and Glycogen Glucose and glycogen are two important
substances to athletes, and to anyone who wants to understand
better how their body performs during exercise. Both glucose and
glycogen are important to providing the energy our bodies need
for exercise and other bodily functions. What is Glucose?
Glucose is the form of sugar that your body converts to energy.
Glucose comes from the food we eat. When, for example, you eat a
meal, your body turns your food into glucose for use as energy.
Our bodies cannot store glucose, but it can be accessed for
energy as long as it is present in its primary form. What is
Glycogen? Glycogen is a form of sugar that is stored in the
liver and the muscles. The body stores glycogen when too much
glucose is present. This allows this sugar to be available to
our bodies later, when glucose levels might not be high enough
to meet our energy needs. Glucose and glycogen, though both
sugars, and both energy sources, are different. Glucose cannot
be stored in the body, and glyco