What is glycogen?

Glycogen is a branched polysaccharide storage for glucose that contains two types of glycosidic linkage, extended chains of  α(1→4) linked glucose residues with  α(1→6) branches spaced about every four to six resides along the   α(1→4) chain.

Glycogen is created when the body converts glucose into storage. It plays a major role in controlling blood sugar levels.

Liver glycogen is an emergency store that sustains the blood glucose concentration. Muscle glycogen provides local fuel only as it lacks glucose-6-phosphatase.

Both liver and the muscles can store only a limited amount of glycogen; therefore, when an excess of carbohydrates is ingested, there will be a tendency to develop an excess of glycogen.

The liver’s capacity to store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen is limited to only 12 hours supply, approximately 100 g of glycogen. The muscles have the capacity to store between 250 – 400 g of glycogen depending on unique muscle mass and physical condition.
What is glycogen?