The present study was designed to assess the role of hyperglycemia (150 mg/dl) vs. euglycemia (90 mg/dl) on glucose metabolism in vivo during the infusion of a triglyceride emulsion (Intralipid). Seven young healthy volunteers were studied on four occasions using the hyperinsulinemic clamp technique, twice during euglycemia and twice during hyperglycemia, without or with Intralipid. Glucose oxidation (O) was calculated from continuous respiratory exchange measurements, and glucose storage (S) was obtained as the difference between total glucose disposal (M) and O. Two-way analysis of variance with interaction term demonstrated 1) a significant increase for M with hyperglycemia and a decrease with Intralipid; no interaction, and 2) in euglycemia, O/M and S/M occurred in one-to-one ratios; on the other hand, during 150-mg/dl hyperglycemia, the ratio dropped roughly to 1:2. Intralipid had no effect on the ratio, and no interaction could be observed. These results suggest the existence of physiological regulatory mechanisms by which 1) the rise in plasma free fatty acid inhibits both oxidative and nonoxidative glucose disposal, and 2) the rise in glycemia stimulates predominantly nonoxidative glucose disposal.