Sodium acetate, fat burning and acid balance in people
What it found
In eight healthy people, a drink of sodium acetate did not change how much fat or carbohydrate the body used, even though it made the blood slightly more alkaline and raised energy use.
A similar drink of sodium bicarbonate did increase fat use.
What they found
Studies in people
Fat use unchanged
After drinking sodium acetate, the amount of fat and carbohydrate used was no different from before the drink. This was in people at rest.
Bicarbonate raised fat use
After drinking sodium bicarbonate, fat use rose from 587 +/- 83 kJ/180 min to 693 +/- 101 kJ/180 min, with no change in carbohydrate use. This was in people at rest.
Acetate burned for energy
About 80.1 +/- 2.3% of the acetate from the drink was burned for energy in people at rest. The acetate burned almost entirely, 90%, replaced the extra fat burned during the bicarbonate trial.
Acid balance and energy
Both sodium acetate and sodium bicarbonate caused a mild rise in blood alkalinity and increased energy use by a similar amount. This was measured in people.
What the authors conclude
“Whereas NaHCO3 ingestion increased fat oxidation, a similar response did not occur following NaAc ingestion despite the fact both sodium salts induced a similar increase in energy expenditure and shift in acid-base balance.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that sodium acetate causes a metabolic alkalosis but does not increase fat oxidation like sodium bicarbonate does.
- They note that both sodium salts produced a similar rise in energy use and shift in acid-base balance, yet only bicarbonate raised fat use.
How it was done
The authors wanted to measure how much acetate from a drink is burned for energy, and to see whether having more acetate available changes how the body uses fat and carbohydrate at rest.
Eight healthy volunteers, six men and two women, each took part in two separate trials seven days apart. In each trial they drank either sodium acetate or sodium bicarbonate at a dose of 2 mmol/kg body mass, and their breathing gases and blood were sampled before and for 180 minutes after the drink.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a small study of eight healthy people at rest, so the results may not apply to other groups or to people who are active.
- It only looked at a single dose and a 180 minute period, so it cannot show what happens with longer use.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Aberdeen, Scotland
The paper
- Title
- Sodium acetate induces a metabolic alkalosis but not the increase in fatty acid oxidation observed following bicarbonate ingestion in humans
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Smith GI, Jeukendrup AE, Ball D (2007). Sodium acetate induces a metabolic alkalosis but not the increase in fatty acid oxidation observed following bicarbonate ingestion in humans. The Journal of nutrition. doi:10.1093/jn/137.7.1750PubMed 17585026DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error