The aim of the present study was to investigate whether cyclosporine A (CSA) improved cardiac dysfunction at an early stage of sepsis. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the following three groups: the sham‑operated control group, the cecal ligation puncture (CLP) procedure‑induced sepsis group and the CSA intervention group. Cecal ligation was performed to generate a sepsis model. At different time points (2, 6, 12, 24 and 72 h) following sepsis induction, blood pressure, cardiac function, and non‑esterified free fatty acid (NEFA) levels in the plasma and myocardia were measured, and the expression levels of components associated with the AMP‑activated protein kinase (AMPK)‑acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC)‑carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT1) signaling pathway were compared among the three groups. Sepsis induced a decrease in blood pressure and cardiac function at 24 h following sepsis induction in the CLP group, and CSA treatment ameliorated these pathophysiological alterations. In addition, rats in the CLP group exhibited significant increases in calcineurin activity and NEFA accumulation in the heart when compared with those in the sham group. These effects were attenuated by CSA treatment. Mechanistically, the activity of the AMPK‑ACC‑CPT1 pathway was enhanced by CSA treatment. The present study revealed that CSA treatment increases cardiac function at an early stage of sepsis in rats. This treatment partially suppresses calcineurin activity while activating the AMPK‑TCC‑CPT1 pathway.