Experimental models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) provide a useful tool for understanding the cerebral metabolic changes induced by this pathological con-dition. Here, we report on the time course of changes in cerebral metabolites after TBI using high-resolution proton magnetic resonance spectros-copy (NMR). Extracts from adult male Spra-gue-Dawley rats were subjected to fluid lateral per-cussion were examined by NMR at 3, 24 and 48h af-ter the injury. A metabolomic approach was carried out to identify the cerebral metabolites impacted by the TBI and their quantitative temporal changes. Lactate, valine and ascorbate were the three first metabolites to be significantly modified after TBI. The quantitative elevation for these compounds last for the entire experimental time explored. Within 24hours post-TBI, a significant elevation in cho-line-derivates, alanine and glucose were also meas-ured. On the other hand, N-acetyl aspartate, a neu-ronal marker, and myo-inositol, an important organic osmolyte in the mammalian brain, were not signifi-cantly impacted in the chronic phase of TBI.