In this work, gold and silica nanoparticles were added into reactive Al/CuO multilayers systems. Their effects on the flame front dynamics were investigated experimentally using microscopic high-speed imaging technique and theoretically via a reaction model coupling mass and heat diffusion processes. Theoretical findings contradict the experimental observations in which a net increase of the flame front velocity was observed when Au and SiO2 particles are added in the multilayers. This leads to the conclusion that the faster burn rate observed cannot be fully associated with thermal effects only.