This study aimed to investigate the effects of pyruvate and lactic acid on early development of porcine embryos. The NCSU-23 culture medium was modified by replacing 5.56 mmol /L glucose with 0.2 mmol /L pyruvate and 5.7 mmol /L lactic acid,and the modified medium was called mNCSU-23. Parthenogenetic embryos and nuclear transfer embryos were transferred into either NCSU-23 or mNCSU-23 medium. Embryo development to 5-8 cells was observed 2 days after egg activation,and blastocyst rate and the number of nuclei in the blastocyst were determined on day 6. A higher proportion of the embryos reached 5-8 cells at 48 h and blastocysts on day 6 in mNCSU /NCSU treatment (first 48 h in mNCSU-23 medium and thereafter in NCSU-23 medium) group when compared with the control (NCSU /NCSU,first 48 h in NCSU-23 medium and thereafter also in NCSU-23 medium) group (P < 0.05). The rate of blastocyst formation in mNCSU-23 /mNCSU-23 (first 48 h in mNCSU-23 medium and thereafter also in mNCSU-23 medium) group was the lowest (P < 0.05). Our results have demonstrated that replacing glucose with pyruvate and lactic acid during the first 48 h of IVC may be beneficial to the development of porcine embryos.