Seven untrained male subjects participated in a double-blind, crossover study conducted to determine the efficacy of different carbohydrate drinks in promoting carbohydrate storage in the whole body and skeletal muscle during recovery from exhaustive exercise. The postabsorptive subjects first completed an exercise protocol designed to deplete muscle fibers of glycogen, then consumed 330 ml of one of three carbohydrate drinks (18.5% glucose polymer, 18.5% sucrose, or 12% sucrose; wt/vol) and also received a primed constant infusion of [1-¹³C]glucose for 2 h. Nonoxidative glucose disposal (3.51 ± 0.28, 18.5% glucose polymer; 2.96 ± 0.32, 18.5% sucrose; 2.97 ± 0.16, 12% sucrose; all mmol · kg¹ · h¹) and storage of muscle glycogen (5.31 ± 1.11, 18.5% glucose polymer; 4.07 ± 1.05, 18.5% sucrose; 3.45 ± 0.85, 12% sucrose; all mmol · kg wet wt¹ · h¹; P < 0.05) were greater after consumption of the glucose polymer drink than after either sucrose drink. The results suggest that the consumption of a glucose polymer drink (containing 61 g carbohydrate) promotes a more rapid storage of carbohydrate in the whole body, skeletal muscle in particular, than an isoenergetic sucrose drink.