Herbs & Supplements:
Pyruvate

Supplement Forms / Alternate Names
  • Sodium Pyruvate, Calcium Pyruvate, Potassium Pyruvate, Magnesium Pyruvate, Dihydroxyacetone Pyruvate (DHAP)
Principal Proposed Uses
  • Weight Reduction
Other Proposed Uses
  • Performance Enhancement

Pyruvate supplies the body with pyruvic acid, a natural compound that plays important roles in the manufacture and use of energy. Pyruvate supplements have become popular with bodybuilders and other athletes, based on claims that pyruvate can reduce body fat and enhance the ability to use energy efficiently. However, at the present time, there is only preliminary evidence that it really works.

Sources

Pyruvate is not an essential nutrient, since your body makes all it needs. But it can be found in food, with an average diet supplying anywhere from 100 mg to 2 g daily. Apples are the best source: a single apple contains about 450 mg of pyruvate. Beer and red wine contain about 75 mg per serving.

Therapeutic dosages are usually much higher than what you can get from food: You'd have to eat almost 70 apples a day to get the proper amount! To use pyruvate for therapeutic purposes, you must take a supplement.

Although most products on the market contain only (or almost only) pyruvate, some also contain a related compound, dihydroxyacetone, which the body converts to pyruvate. The combination of the two products is known as DHAP.

Therapeutic Dosages

A typical therapeutic dosage of pyruvate is 30 g daily, although 6 to 44 g daily have been used in studies. Dihydroxyacetone dosages in studies of DHAP (pyruvate plus dihydroxyacetone) have ranged from 12 to 75 g daily.

Therapeutic Uses

Evidence from several small placebo-controlled studies suggests that pyruvate may enhance weight loss.^1–8,18 The evidence regarding pyruvate as an ergogenic aid is weak and contradictory.^9–12

What Is the Scientific Evidence for Pyruvate?

Weight Reduction

Several small studies enrolling a total of about 150 individuals have found evidence that pyruvate or DHAP can aid weight loss and/or improve body composition.^13–18

For example, in a 6-week double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 51 individuals were given either pyruvate (6 g daily), placebo, or no treatment.¹⁸ All participated in an exercise program. In the treated group, significant decreases in fat mass (2.1 kilograms) and percentage body fat (2.6%) were seen, along with a significant increase in muscle mass (1.5 kilograms). No significant changes were seen in the placebo or nontreatment groups.

Another placebo-controlled study (blinding not stated) used a much higher dose of pyruvate, 22 to 44 g daily depending on total calorie intake.¹³ In this trial, 34 slightly overweight individuals were put on a mildly weight-reducing diet for 4 weeks. Subsequently, half were given a liquid dietary supplement containing pyruvate. Over the course of 6 weeks, individuals in the pyruvate group lost a small amount of weight (about 1-1/2 pounds) while those in the placebo group did not lose weight. Most of the weight loss came from fat.

Another interesting placebo-controlled study evaluated the effects of combined dihydroxyacetone and pyruvate (DHAP) when individuals who had previously lost weight increased their calorie intake.¹⁵ Seventeen severely overweight women were put on a restricted diet as inpatients for 3 weeks, during which time they lost approximately 17 pounds. They were then given a high-calorie diet. Approximately half of the women also received 15 g of pyruvate and 75 g of dihydroxyacetone daily. The results found that after 3 weeks of this weight-gaining diet, individuals receiving the supplements gained only about 4 pounds, as compared to about 6 pounds in the placebo group. Close evaluation showed that pyruvate specifically blocked regain of fat weight.

While all these studies are intriguing, we really need large studies (100 participants or more) to establish the benefits of pyruvate for weight loss.

Safety Issues

Both pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone appear to be quite safe, aside from mild side effects such as occasional stomach upset and diarrhea. However, maximum safe dosages for children, women who are pregnant or nursing, or those with liver or kidney disease have not been established.

Keep in mind that, because such enormous doses of pyruvate are used, if a contaminant were present even in very small percentages there could be harmful results. For this reason, you should make sure to use a high-quality product.

Last reviewed March 2002 by Medical Review Board

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