Abstract

The synthesis of liver and muscle glycogen was studied in healthy volunteers given glucose and fructose infusions. In the course of 4 hours 21 to 26 mmol sugar per kg body-weight was given. Before and after the infusion the glycogen content was determined in needle biopsy material from liver and muscle tissue. The mean increases of liver glycogen after fructose and glucose infusions were 274.6 ± 25.87 and 76.2 ± 9.92 mmol glucosyl units per kg wet weight liver tissue, respectively. In muscle tissue the increase of glycogen was of the same magnitude for both sugars, corresponding to 23.0 and 24.4 mmol glucosyl units per kg after fructose and glucose, respectively. A rough estimate concerning the distribution in the body of the sugar loads was also made. For both sugars it was calculated that more than half of the infused amount was stored as glycogen in liver and muscle tissue and less than 10 per cent could have been stored in fat tissue.