Lactate, a natural energy-carrying molecule produced when the body breaks down carbohydrates or glucose for energy, has traditionally been associated with muscle burn, fatigue, and soreness, measured to pinpoint when an athlete has reached their physiological limit.
Yet, this summer, some of the world’s top cyclists were rumored to be consuming exogenous lactate within carb gels and calcium/magnesium powders as part of their energy strategy.
Tadej Pogačar became the highest-profile rider linked to lactate-based fueling after his team revealed Enervit C2:1PRO Lactate Gel Mix was in his nutrition toolbox. Developed over two seasons of testing with the riders and UAE Team Emirates-XRG performance staff, the new lactate gel mix is currently being used exclusively by the team and will reportedly be made available for sale after La Vuelta España 2026.
According to Spanish supplement manufacturer and CDMO Aurora Intelligent Nutrition (AIN), the heightened interest in elite athletics signals a significant innovation opportunity in the wider sports nutrition category.
“When different research groups, nutrition companies, and elite teams simultaneously begin exploring the same molecule, we are not looking at a passing fad,” said Carlos Morales, product manager at AIN. ”We are witnessing a new way of understanding energy nutrition in endurance sports and one of the most significant innovation streams of the next decade.”
Currently, there are only a handful of these types of products on the market.
Spanish endurance brand Santamadre launched Lactate 60, a gel combining 40g of carbs with 60 millimoles (approximately 5.34 grams) of lactate, as a limited edition in July this year after it was revealed that Yomif Kejelcha used the product as part of his fueling strategy to achieve his record sub two hour London Marathon debut.
And Spanish startup From Lab to Field (FLF), founded by sports scientist Aitor Viribay, developed a lactate gel called ExoLactate. Reportedly trialed within elite endurance athletes, each gel features 5g lactate and 40 g carbohydrate and is marketed as “the most efficient source of energy yet”.
The “conceptual leap”
Exercise physiologists first started to view lactate as a readily oxidized energy substrate in the 1980s, after researcher George Brooks proposed the ‘Lactate Shuttle’ theory, positing lactate was not a waste product, but a dynamic molecule capable of transporting energy between different cells and tissues. It is now understood that in some tissues it is actively preferred as a fuel source, with the heart, brain and slow-twitch muscle fibers consuming it continuously.
Studies have further indicated lactate acts as a signaling molecule termed a “lactormone”, capable of transmitting metabolic information to cells, confirming its regulatory role beyond its energetic function.
“For many years, lactate was misinterpreted due to correlation: it increased when intensity spiked and fatigue set in, leading to the conclusion that it was part of the problem and assigning it incorrect causality,” said Morales. “The major conceptual leap has been understanding that it plays a leading role in the body’s energy system.”
While carbohydrates are restricted by specific intestinal transporters, generally capping fuel absorption around 120–140 grams per hour, lactate utilizes different pathways called monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs), meaning it could theoretically act as a third fuel line to bypass human carbohydrate absorption limits.
However, human studies are limited.
A notable randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial in this arena involved 15 recreational exercisers who received an oral lactate supplement before cycling. The supplement did not improve VO₂max, lactate threshold or ventilatory threshold but it produced a modest 4% increase in average power output during a 20-minute cycling time trial versus placebo.
Another study conducted in 16 endurance trained athletes using a prolonged cycling protocol found that performance itself did not improve but gastrointestinal symptoms steadily accumulated as exercise progressed.
Awaiting stronger signal
James Moran, head of nutrition for the Uno-X Mobility Cycling, which competed in the Tour De France and achieved a stage win by team member Søren Wærenskjold, said that while lactate’s mechanism of action is promising, he would remain sceptical until human research provided a stronger signal.
“There has been lots of discussion around a carbohydrate gel containing exogenous lactate,” he said. “The mechanism is promising, however, there is currently next to no relevant data regarding if exogenous lactate can get through the GI tract, if it meaningfully changes plasma lactate, and if it actually influences physiology and performance in elite athletes.”
That said, Moran noted it has been long established that lactate has many important roles including as an important energy substrate and cell signalling molecule.
“We are are waiting to see more data before considering using this as an addition to our current fueling strategies,” he added.
Dr. Mark Evans, senior scientist at health and wellness retailer Holland & Barrett , said while the human evidence is inconclusive, given formulation innovations have overcome some of the GI issues seen in the past, he expects to see more human research published.
“All of that being said, with the money and sport science capabilities that these Tour cycling teams have, I would expect they have their own data available that may be ahead of what the published literature shows,” he added. “This could give them a clearer picture where lactate may be advantageous during different stage/race types and specifically when during a stage it could be used to enhance performance.”
He suggested the strategy currently sits as a tool for professional cyclists who have optimized their nutrition and training and are looking for marginal performance gains.
He added: “With any innovation in sports nutrition, it may be viewed sceptically at first, until we see where the real benefits, if any, can be found.”
Want to hear further insights from sports nutrition experts James Moran, Dr. Mark Evans and many more? NutraIngredients will bring together the industry’s leading experts at the upcoming Sports & Active Nutrition Summit Europe, taking place in London on Nov. 9. To learn more, visit the website here.
