People consume nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins,
and minerals in their diet. Among these, carbohydrates and fats are mainly used by the
body as energy. Lipids are stored in the body mainly in the form of triglycerides,
whereas carbohydrates are primarily stored in the liver and skeletal muscles in the form
of glycogen. Compared to fat, glycogen can be stored in much smaller quantities in the
body. Glycogen utilization has also been shown to increase during exercise. When
glycogen is depleted, exercise performance is impaired. Glycogen is, therefore, a
valuable source of energy, and much research has been conducted on how to store
glycogen and how to enhance glycogen recovery after exercise. In addition, managing
glucose and glycogen through proper nutrition and exercise training is very important
not only for improving athletic performance but also for maintaining and improving
health. Therefore, this chapter focuses on the impact of nutrition and exercise on
carbohydrate metabolism.
Keywords: Glycogen, Glucose, Liver, Metabolism, Skeletal muscle.
