Sodium acetate and fat burning during exercise
What it found
In six healthy young men, taking sodium acetate before exercise lowered fat burning at rest and in the first 15 minutes of exercise.
Over the last 75 minutes, fat burning rose and carbohydrate burning fell only in the sodium acetate trial.
What they found
Studies in people
Fat burning at rest
Sodium acetate lowered fat burning at rest, from 0.09 to 0.07 g per minute. Carbohydrate use did not change. Sodium bicarbonate had no effect on either at rest.
First 15 minutes of exercise
In the first 15 minutes of exercise, fat burning was lower in the sodium acetate trial than in the sodium bicarbonate trial (0.16 vs. 0.29 g per minute). Carbohydrate burning was higher in the sodium acetate trial (1.67 vs. 1.44 g per minute).
Last 75 minutes of exercise
Over the final 75 minutes of exercise, fat burning went up and carbohydrate burning went down only in the sodium acetate trial.
What the authors conclude
“These results demonstrate that increasing plasma acetate concentration suppresses fat oxidation both at rest and at the onset of moderate-intensity exercise.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that raising the amount of acetate in the blood lowers fat burning both at rest and at the start of moderate-intensity exercise.
How it was done
At rest, taking acetate lowers fat burning without changing carbohydrate use. The authors wanted to know what happens when acetate is taken before exercise.
Six healthy young men took either sodium acetate or sodium bicarbonate at 4 mmol per kg of body mass 90 minutes before cycling for 120 minutes at 50% VO2peak. They did this after an overnight fast, in a random order.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a small study in six healthy young men, so the results may not apply to other people.
- The trial only looked at one dose of sodium acetate and one exercise session.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Aberdeen, Scotland
The paper
- Title
- The effect of sodium acetate ingestion on the metabolic response to prolonged moderate-intensity exercise in humans
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Smith GI, Jeukendrup AE, Ball D (2013). The effect of sodium acetate ingestion on the metabolic response to prolonged moderate-intensity exercise in humans. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.23.4.357PubMed 23296954DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error