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Lacate isn’t a burning waste product. It’s a potent fuel and a metabolic master regulator. And now Tadej Pogačar is drinking it while he demolishes the 2026 Tour de France.
After decades of research and years of secretive trials, lactate fueling finally arrived to the Tour de France this summer.
The news that Pogačar, his teammates at UAE Emirates-XRG, and one other team are using lactate gels and drinks landed like a bombshell. Only a round of controversial overnight dope tests rivaled its impact on the Tour’s Richter scale.
Why such a big impact?
Because lactate is possibly the most potent legal fuel source that sports nutrition has never been able to solve. Until now, delivering exogenous – i.e., external – lactate was impossible.
And that’s a lot of wasted potential.
In its natural state, lactate is a byproduct of exercise that’s recycled back into energy. It’s a physiological powerhouse that works alongside carbohydrates, boosts metabolic efficiency, and promotes recovery.
And now its been spliced into ExoLactate energy gels, and Pogačar’s new performance enhancer, the Enervit C2:1Pro lactate gel mix.
A scientific breakthrough, but not yet a sporting breakthrough
In a sport that’s being defined by nutritional and technological breakthroughs, the arrival of lactate fuel to the Tour could be transformational.
Leading lactate researchers have likened it to being as important as the first wave of the high-carbohydrate revolution, or the launch of carbon-plated supershoes in marathoning. Which, of course, they would say – they’ve got skin in the game.
However, the bold claims are founded in solid science.
Scientists have been investigating the metabolic miracles of lactate for more than 40 years. Its function as a fuel for the muscles and brain and its role in signaling key physiological processes are well proven.
The big question now: Will what’s in Pogi’s bottles actually blow up endurance sport?
That’s a difficult one to answer.
The possibilities of lactate fueling are based on scientific theory, not competitive application. The full potential of lactate supplementation might not be realized until long after King Pog has retired.
Pogačar, ExoLactate, and a secret Tour de France team
Velo first reported in week 1 of the Tour de France that one team was racing with secretive ExoLactate energy gels. The team’s identity is being kept under lock-and-key due to confidentiality agreements.
ExoLactate’s legal silence sparked a wave of speculation about which team had gained first-mover advantage with a novel nutritional solution.
Little more than one week later, Pogačar and his $60 million UAE superteam barged into the lactate chat.
After two years of secret trials, UAE Emirates-XRG’s nutrition partner Enervit launched the C2:1Pro Lactate Gel Mix that Pogačar is using to fuel his quest for a historic fifth yellow jersey.
Elsewhere, Santamadre claims its lactate gel was used by record-breaking marathoner Yomif Kejelcha this April in his sensational London debut. There are claims that Santamadre’s lactate formulation breaches patent law, but we won’t get into that here.
See the bottom of this post for a full breakdown of the nutritional profile, pricing, and launch dates of the two lactate fuels being used at the Tour de France.
Why lactate matters
The high-carbohydrate fueling revolution put the Tour de France on fast-forward at the turn of this decade.
The arrival of a world-first lactate fuel could be the next energy breakthrough that pushes endurance sport to a new frontier.
But while lactate is a term that’s very freely thrown around your weekend club ride, it’s one of the most misunderstood molecules in physiology.
Here’s what lactate actually is, and what its arrival as a fuel means for the Tour de France.
What is lactate? Four things to know about the new Tour de France fuel
1. It’s an energy source
Lactate is produced in the muscles during high-intensity exercise by the breakdown of glucose.
Some of the lactate that’s produced is shuttled around the body for use in aerobic metabolism. Its destination spans beyond the muscles and includes the brain and heart.
Lactate is also transported to the liver where it’s converted into glucose for immediate use by the muscles. This fresh energy could also be stored as glycogen for future fuel.
2. It’s not the bad guy
Forget what you might have thought about “lactic acid.” Those old tales of a demonic “waste” product that burns the legs are wrong.
Lacate isn’t the bad guy – hydrogen ions are.
Lactate production triggers an associated release of hydrogen ions. The two rise in concentration alongside each other.
And here’s the thing.
Hydrogen ions reduce muscle pH and cause “acidosis.” And that stings.
The increase in hydrogen ions can also interfere with muscle contractility and make cyclists pedal squares.
3. It’s an efficiency booster
Lactate isn’t only an energy source. It’s an efficiency-booster that matches fuel delivery to metabolic demand.
When exercise intensity increases beyond threshold, lactate pushes carbohydrate forward in the fueling mix. More carbs means more fast-release energy. Meanwhile, slow-burn fats are pulled out of the furnace.
At lower exercise intensity, lactate concentration is correspondingly lower. This promotes fat oxidation, sparing carbs for when things get tough.
4. It’s a signal
Lactate is the gift that just keeps giving.
It provides energy, regulates metabolism, and is considered a “signaling molecule.”
The presence of lactate in the blood activates anti-inflammatory responses and healing processes, and regulates the immune system. Lactate has a key role in athletic recovery, human health, and disease.
5. It’s not doping
To address the elephant in the room – lactate fuels are safe from the doping police. The officials who rocked the Tour with a round of overnight dope tests won’t have been looking for traces of this substance that’s naturally produced by the body.
For now, lactate does not fall on the WADA naughty list.
The long-awaited arrival of lactate fuel to endurance sport
The power of lactate is founded in decades of research and widely agreed upon. George Brooks published his groundbreaking “shuttle” theory in 1985, far before Pogačar was born.
But it’s never been successfully harnessed into a substance that can be safely ingested and delivered to the gut.
The only way to provide an impactful dose of exogenous lactate before now was via infusion or a super-strength sodium mix. Other oral supplements were so lactate-weak they were good as useless.
Enervit and UAE Emirates-XRG didn’t muck about when they went looking for a way to tap into some lactate power. They went to the top and recruited “Mr Lactate” George Brooks onto a long-term development project.
Enervit and Brooks cycled through two years of prototyping, testing with UAE riders, and tweaking before they were confident enough to break cover with the finished product this July.
The R&D was even longer for ExoLactate. The “From Lab to Field” research group that created the gel began tinkering with the concept seven years ago.
It’s unclear how Enervit solved the delivery problems that delayed lactate fueling for so long. Full details of its gel mix haven’t been disclosed.
However, ExoLactate founder Aitor Viribay – a former nutritionist at Ineos Grenadiers and now a performance lead at Salomon running – told Velo that using a hydrogel system similar to Maurten’s was key to his brand’s breakthrough.
In theory? A third layer of fuel. In practice? Who knows.
Lactate is being sold as a third source of fuel that sits on top of glucose and fructose, the two pillars of the high-carbohydrate era.
The science that supports that concept is 40 years old.
But little is known about how exogenous lactate will actually impact performance.
The difficulty of delivering it to athletes has limited the volume of studies performed on humans.
The most significant recent trial was in 2024.
The study on 15 recreational athletes showed a 4 percent increased work rate during a 20-minute TT. But let’s face it, that’s a test cohort that carries almost zero correlation to the 180 athletic monsters in the Tour de France.
For now, the only evidence we have that the first wave of lactate fuel “works” is purely anecdotal, and far from neutral.
ExoLactate founder Viribay told Velo that the riders using his gel at the Tour de France reported lower perceived exertion at the same watts, faster recovery, and improved fatigue resistance. He also confirmed that several pilot studies are in progress.
For now, lactate fuel is based on laboratory theory, not racing fact.
What the arrival of lactate fuel means for the Tour de France
The arrival of lactate fuel is well timed. The Tour de France is pushing toward peak carbs in 2026.
The high-carbohydrate fueling revolution that exploded performance at the turn of the decade is burning at what might be full ferocity.
Riders now eat 120-140 grams of carbohydrate per hour. Multiple studies suggest that’s a point of diminishing returns limited by the gut’s ability to absorb glucose and fructose and metabolize them into fuel.
Nutrition experts believe the benefit of an”ultra-carb” approach lies more in the impact on multi-day recovery rather than on-the-day performance.
Lactate’s unique, and separate, place in the metabolic mix opens a third fueling pathway to be exploited.
It’s absorbed via a different portal than glucose and fructose, and is unimpacted by how busy the gut might be metabolizing them.
And while lactate experts have admitted they don’t know how much impact their “third energy source” will have, those who have it are in a no-lose situation.
The ExoLactate and Enervit products are loaded with as many carbs as the leading glucose-fructose products in the peloton [see details below – ed.]. So it’s no huge deal if the lactate hype doesn’t deliver.
Also, ExoLactate claims to be totally stomach-safe and G.I .-friendly. Presumably Enervit’s product is the same, or it wouldn’t be getting put into Pogačar’s bottles.
Those who have lactate fuel have the first-mover advantage.
The extent of that advantage is TBD.
Lactate revolution or lactate BS?
But let’s hold the hype.
Endurance sport, and particularly pro cycling, is always looking for the next micro-gain. The field of sport nutrition and supplementation is a particular hotbed of snake oil.
Marginal hacks like salmon recovery tablets and broccoli drinks continue to thrive from marketing hype as much as proven benefit.
Meanwhile, it took years for athletes to figure out how best to use ketone esters. What was touted as an endurance wonder-fuel has now been flipped into a Tour de France recovery aid.
Likewise, nutrition brands and endurance scientists might take years to truly crack the lactate code. The first-gen products that are fueling Pogačar and a small percentage of the Tour de France might fail on dosing, delivery mechanism, or dozens more details.
That said, the raw potential of lactate is hard to ignore.
There’s a reason why brands spent years developing lactate fueling solutions, and why Pogačar wants to drink them.
So don’t be shocked to see rivals to Enervit and ExoLactate arrive to the lactate market soon. But also don’t be surprised if lactate doesn’t become a real fueling “thing” until Pogačar has won his 10th yellow jersey and gone home.
This is what we know about the Tour de France lactate fuels
ExoLactate gel: In use by one anonymous team
- 5g lactate
- 40g carbohydrate in 1:1 glucose-fructose ratio.
- Due for European release immediately after the Tour de France.
- Developed by Aitor Viribay and his From Lab to Field research project. Viribay worked as a nutritionist at Ineos Grenadiers and now works with Courtney Dauwalter and Co. and Salomon running.
- Will retail at a similar price to a regular high-carb gel (i.e., around $5 USD)
Enervit C2:1Pro Lactate Gel Mix. In use by Pogačar and Team UAE Emirates-XRG
- 10g lactate
- 90g carbohydrate in 2:1 glucose-fructose ratio.
- Full use details have not been released, but the powder product requires mixing with water. It’s not clear whether it takes the consistency of a drink or a loose-flowing gel.
- Developed by Enervit in collaboration with team UAE under the guidance of George Brooks, the OG of lactate research.
- Launch date and retail price TBD. However, a “registration of interest” page has been opened on the Enervit website.
Historical studies suggest exogenous lactate needs to be consumed at 15-25 grams per hour to confer an athletic benefit. That works out at 3-5 ExoLactate gels, or 2 servings of Enervit drink.
