This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of starvation and refeeding on the growth performance, biochemical indices in the plasma, liver/muscle glycogen content, glucose metabolic enzymes, and gene expression of glucose transporter 1 () and then clarify the characteristics of glucose metabolism of grass carp under starvation and refeeding. The combined experiment consisted of a starvation group (S), refeeding group (R, starvation 4 weeks + refeeding 4 weeks), and continuous feeding group (C). Fish with an average initial weight of (125.35±0.54) g were randomly selected in each treatment and injected with 300 mg glucose per 100 g body weight for a glucose tolerance test (GTT) at the end of experiment. The results showed that starvation resulted in a low liver glycogen content, plasma glucose, and triglyceride concentration. However, starvation treatment had a significant effect on glucose tolerance, and the plasma glucose concentration of the S group was significantly lower (<0.05) than that of the other groups during the entire sampling period, whereas liver glycogen content peaked at 6 h. Starvation treatment had a significant effect on activities of carbohydrate metabolic enzymes. Starvation induced the liver PEPCK enzyme activity but depressed PK and PFK enzyme activities. However, PEPCK, PK, and PFK enzyme activities returned to their previous levels after refeeding. After glucose injection, a significant increase (<0.05) in GK and PK activities was observed in the S group, but PK activities of the R group significantly increased (<0.05) and then decreased. Starvation treatment had a significant effect on the expression of in hepatic and muscle tissues. After the glucose load, starvation and refeeding significantly induced the expression of GLUT1 expression in the muscle tissue of the R group decreased, whereas its expression in the muscle tissue of the S group was significantly higher than that of the other groups during the entire sampling period (<0.05). It could be concluded that during the stages of starvation, to deal with the challenges of food deprivation, grass carp depleted glycogen and triglyceride, suppressed hepatic glycolysis enzymes, such as PK and PFK, and activated hepatic glycogenolytic enzymes, such as PEPCK. The results of starvation treatment in grass carp favored the improvement of glucose tolerance through inducing GK and PK enzyme activities, increasing the synthesis of liver glycogen, and activating the expression of in hepatic and muscle tissues.