Tadej Pogačar's new lactate super fuel is a "breakthrough" in sports nutrition, but should you believe the hype?

Lactate has long held a reputation as the enemy of endurance athletes. For years, the burning sensation in a cyclist’s legs was blamed on lactate buildup. However, the science on how muscles process fuel has changed. Tadej Pogačar and his teammates at UAE Team Emirates are now testing this shift at the 2026 Tour de France by using a new lactate gel mix from Enervit.

This product, the C2:1PRO Lactate Gel Mix, marks a pivot in sports nutrition philosophy. Instead of avoiding lactate, researchers now view it as a fuel source that the heart, brain, and muscles can consume during intense exercise. The gel combines 90g of carbohydrates in a 2:1 glucose-to-fructose ratio with 10g of lactate. This formula aims to bypass the standard carbohydrate absorption limits of the human intestine by adding a third, independent fuel pathway.

Professor George A. Brooks, who spearheaded the research behind the product, describes this approach as a new era for professional cycling. By providing the body with an exogenous source of lactate, the goal is to increase the total energy ceiling for riders during the final stages of a race. Enervit suggests that beyond the direct energy benefit, the compound might also help regulate acidity and lower the perceived effort for the athlete.

Despite these claims, the cycling community remains split on whether this is a genuine performance enhancer or a marginal gain with unclear benefits. Skeptics point to studies suggesting that while lactate might act as a mild buffer for blood chemistry, it does not reliably lead to increased power output. Some performance directors even argue that lactate is a less efficient fuel source than simple glucose and potentially introduces digestive complexity.

For now, the product remains in the hands of elite teams, with a public release scheduled for after La Vuelta España this September. Whether this becomes a standard tool in a pro cyclist’s jersey pocket or fades as a niche experiment remains to be seen. Given that high-stakes races are often decided by mere seconds, teams will continue searching for any advantage that might keep their riders moving faster for longer.