Sodium acetate and fat burning during exercise in six men
What it found
Taking sodium acetate lowered how much fat the body burned at rest and early in exercise, while raising carbohydrate use.
This was measured in six healthy young men.
What they found
Studies in people
Fat burning at rest
Before exercise, taking sodium acetate lowered the rate of fat burning slightly. It did not change how the body used carbohydrates. Sodium bicarbonate had no effect on either measure.
Early exercise fuel use
During the first 15 minutes of exercise, fat burning was lower after sodium acetate than after sodium bicarbonate. Carbohydrate burning was higher in the sodium acetate trial.
Later exercise fuel use
Over the final 75 minutes of exercise, fat burning rose and carbohydrate burning fell only in the sodium acetate group. The sodium bicarbonate group did not show this shift.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that raising acetate levels in the blood lowers fat burning both at rest and at the start of moderate exercise.
- Their results show the body shifts toward using more carbohydrates early on when extra acetate is present.
How it was done
Scientists already knew that acetate lowers fat burning when people are resting. They wanted to see what happens when people take it and then exercise.
Six healthy young men fasted overnight and then took either sodium acetate or sodium bicarbonate. The dose was 4 mmol per kg of body weight, taken 90 minutes before exercising. They cycled at a moderate pace for 120 minutes, doing each trial in a random order.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- Only six young men took part, so the results may not apply to women, older adults or larger groups.
- The study looked at one exercise session, so scientists do not yet know what happens with regular use over time.
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 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error