Updated October 18, 2026 at 5:05 a.m.
Remember the mysterious lactate energy products that Tadej Pogačar tried on the Tour de France?
They are on sale for you to purchase.
This week, Enervit 2:1 Lactate Gel Mix hit the market via the brand’s website and its multinational distributor, The Feed.
Enervit is the long-standing nutritional partner of UAE Emirates XRG, the team of Pogacar, Isaac del Toro and world champion Brandon McNulty.
Sold as a thick gloop to mix with water, Enervit’s Gel Mix rivals lactate refueling products sold by ExoLactate and Flycarb.
The sales pitch for this new generation sports nutrition?
Exogenous lactate provides muscles with a third source of energy beyond carbohydrates, glucose and fructose.
Because remember, lactate is not the bad guy. Lactate is a poorly understood and often demonized natural byproduct of metabolism.
When ingested as a form of nutrition, it is absorbed completely separately from carbohydrates. It provides muscles with a powerful layer of extra energy when the intestine reaches its maximum carbohydrate capacity. It can also help reduce the perception of fatigue.
We’ve taken a deeper dive into how lactate works as a fuel in this explainer.
Lactate: “The only way to continue to push the boundaries of fueling performance”
Bike extensively covered the arrival of lactate gels in the Tour de France this summer.
The United Arab Emirates was quietly testing the Enervit mixture. Another undisclosed team was consuming ExoLactate.
Unlike any other product approved by the Tour de France team, these new fuels were shrouded in mystery. Insiders were reluctant to talk about it or limited in what they could say.
Aitor Viribay, the brains behind ExoLactate energy gels, said Bike during the Tour, lactate fueling could be the future.
“Right now, the only way to continue to push the performance envelope in fueling is to use exogenous lactate. That’s safe,” Viribay said.
Viribay previously worked at Ineos Grenadiers. The nutritional science guru now works with Salomon’s running team and his “From Lab to Field” research group has been developing ExoLactate for years.
Viribay has some skin in the game, so obviously he would be give products hype.
But if the science behind lactate fueling can be applied to real-world competition, it could be as big as the high-carb “revolution.”
“So far, anecdotal feedback indicates that runners are seeing a lower rate of perceived exertion and have better durability,” Viribay said. Bike in July. “And we are only at the beginning of discovering its potential.”
Big wins? Big price
The problem ? If you want to participate in this major breakthrough, you also have to break the bank.
Newly listed Enervit products are sold on The flowThe American site at $40 USD for four.
Yes, it’s $10 a piece.
And yes, that’s more than twice the cost of the strongest carbohydrate gel.
ExoLactate gels are currently not shipped to the United States. In Europe, they are sold at €5 (nearly $6 USD) each. Not as mind blowing as the Enervit product, but still painful.
Viribay said Bike when we spoke to him during the Tour de France, he told us he was working on distribution in the United States
What is Pogacar Approved Enervit Lactate Gel Mix?
Enervit’s Lactate Gel Mix contains 90 grams of carbohydrates and 10 grams of lactate in each $10 serving. One serving is equivalent to approximately 500 to 750 ml of liquid, or a bicycle bottle.
For comparison, an ExoLactate gel contains 40 grams of carbohydrates and five grams of lactate. So half the dose for about half the price.
The Italian brand Enervit has been working on its lactate project since 2024.
Renowned lactate scientist and UC Berkeley professor George A. Brooks is part of the development team, as is Pogacar’s former coach, Dr. Iñigo San Millan.
UAE Emirates-XRG riders played a key role in a two-year beta testing process.
Enervit recommends using the lactate blend when carbohydrate intake and exercise intensity peak.
“The recommended time for taking is the final phase (1 to 2 hours) of demanding endurance activities, when an increase in intensity is often required and, more generally, any situation in which very high intensities must be sustained for prolonged periods,” it specifies.
The drink is only available in orange flavor. It’s gluten-free and preservative-free.
An expensive new era of sports nutrition
Enervit’s Lactate Gel Mix went on sale Thursday.
A flashy Instagram Reel featuring UAE-XRG World Champion Brandon McNulty heralded the high-profile arrival. Judging by the accompanying comments, interest is high.
ExoLactate and Flycarb were available in limited markets before Enervit’s launch.
In its launch email Thursday, Enervit promised that “for you, the new era of sports nutrition begins now.”
The new era begins for you, if you are willing to pay US$10 to taste it.
Gn tech
