We used to think lactate was the enemy; now we know better. Here's how the new lactate gels are revolutionizing fueling.
Tadej Pogačar, arguably the best cyclist of this generation, won his fifth Tour de France this year.
His fueling plan included a gel built around lactate. Yes, lactate. The stuff you were taught to blame for burning legs.
Here’s the twist: that reputation was wrong, and Professor George Brooks spent the better part of 50 years proving it.
The science behind it
Brooks’ Lactate Shuttle Theory showed that lactate isn’t a waste product. It’s fuel. Fast-twitch muscle fibers produce it, and slow-twitch fibers, the heart, and even the brain burn it for energy. Your body isn’t trying to get rid of lactate. It’s trying to use it.
That research sat mostly in exercise physiology journals until this year’s Tour, when Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates XRG raced a gel mix built to deliver lactate as fuel.
The product: Enervit C2:1PRO Lactate Gel Mix
Brooks co-developed it directly, alongside Dr. Iñigo San Millán, who spent 30+ years translating metabolic science into elite sport. In Brooks’ words: “This new product initiates a new era in sports nutrition.”
Each pouch mixes 90g of carbohydrates with 10g of sodium lactate. Lactate travels a completely different absorption pathway than glucose or fructose, so it doesn’t compete with the carbs you’re already taking, it adds to them.
Early research shows lactate may be oxidized up to 60% faster than glucose in the first 45 minutes, with a large share already used as fuel within five minutes of drinking it. Because it arrives as sodium lactate, it also brings an alkalizing effect that may help buffer the acid building up during your hardest efforts.
How it works in practice
That’s the science. Here’s how it works in practice.
We’ve gotten several questions from athletes like you about this new fueling formula. Here are some of the most frequently asked:
1. Can I use this with my usual gels and drink mix?
Yes. Layer it on top of your normal carb plan. Some athletes start with caffeinated gels, move into a drink mix, gel, or bar, then finish with the Lactate Gel Mix for the hardest stretch.
Enervit hasn’t found any adverse interactions with other supplements. Bicarb is fine, and so is Nomio. Ketones are the one to be careful with, since they may compete with lactate on the buffering mechanism.
One flag: each pouch has 2,050mg of sodium. Most gels and drink mixes have sodium too, so add up the total from everything you’re taking, not just the carbs.
2. How would I use this in a 3-hour marathon?
Save it for the final 1-2 hours, when fatigue is stacking up. Fuel normally for the first hour, then start the gel mix in the second.
Mix the full pouch into a 500-750ml bottle or flask and sip steadily. You can stretch one pouch across two hours and add regular gels on top. Practice in training first, never on race day.
3. Can I use this for shorter efforts?
Yes. Lactate helps most at high intensity, so for a 10K, 5K or HYROX event, take it at the start or right before the burn usually kicks in. For a one-hour hard session, one pouch covers all your carbs.
4. How much and how to mix it?
One pouch per session or race. Pour it into a 500-750ml bottle of water, shake, and sip. A 550ml bottle is the size Pogačar has been seen using, and you can pair it with the Feed Grip Bottle or the Feed 500ml Flask. Soft flasks work well for long runs and trail races.
Very well-trained athletes could take two, but we don’t recommend it because of the sodium. You can also split one pouch between two 250ml flasks and take them within 48 hours.
