The Future of Sports Fuel? Why Athletes Are Testing Lactate-Based Energy Gels

For decades, endurance athletes have relied on one simple formula for race-day fuel: carbohydrates.

From marathon runners to professional cyclists, energy gels, drinks, and bars have traditionally focused on delivering fast-digesting carbs to working muscles.

But a new generation of sports nutrition research is challenging that idea.

A new energy gel containing lactate—a molecule once misunderstood as a sign of fatigue—could represent a completely different approach to fueling endurance performance.

Professional cyclists may soon provide the first major test of whether this unusual ingredient can actually improve performance during the world’s toughest races.

A New Kind of Energy Gel

The company behind this experimental product, From Lab to Field (FLF), has developed a gel designed to provide athletes with both carbohydrates and lactate during intense exercise.

Unlike traditional gels that mainly supply glucose and fructose, this product aims to introduce another potential fuel source that the body may be able to use during prolonged efforts.

The concept has attracted significant attention in elite cycling circles, with professional teams interested in testing whether lactate can provide an advantage during high-intensity endurance events.

Why Lactate?

For many years, lactate had a bad reputation.

Athletes and coaches once believed that lactate was simply a waste product created during hard exercise—and that it was responsible for the burning sensation and fatigue experienced during intense efforts.

Modern exercise science has changed that understanding.

Researchers now know that lactate is not just a byproduct. It can serve as a valuable energy source, moving through the bloodstream and being used by muscles, the heart, and other tissues.

This idea is known as the lactate shuttle theory, which suggests that lactate plays an important role in how the body manages and distributes energy during exercise.

Creating a Drinkable Form Was the Challenge

If lactate is useful, why haven’t athletes been consuming it for years?

The challenge has always been practical.

Large amounts of lactate are difficult to consume because of taste, digestion, and the way the body processes it.

FLF’s researchers worked with food scientists and chefs to develop a form that could be both effective and acceptable for athletes.

The company has kept many technical details private while research and testing continue.

How Lactate Could Help Performance

The theory behind lactate supplementation is based on creating another energy pathway during endurance exercise.

Traditional endurance fueling relies heavily on carbohydrates. But the body has multiple ways to produce energy, and lactate may provide an additional option.

During lower-intensity efforts, lactate could potentially help reduce carbohydrate use and support fat metabolism.

During harder efforts, when carbohydrate becomes increasingly important, lactate may provide another rapidly available fuel source.

This could be especially valuable during events where athletes need maximum output for long periods, such as mountain climbs or the final stages of a cycling race.

Is Lactate the Next Big Breakthrough?

The science is promising, but researchers are still cautious.

Unlike carbohydrate gels, which have decades of research behind them, external lactate supplementation is still a relatively new area.

Early testing has produced interesting results, but larger studies are needed to determine whether lactate gels can consistently improve race performance.

In endurance sports, many innovations create excitement before proving their true value. Some become game-changing technologies; others disappear after more testing.

The Next Evolution of Endurance Nutrition

Whether lactate becomes the next major breakthrough or simply another interesting experiment, it represents a larger trend in sports science.

Athletes are no longer looking only for more calories. They are searching for smarter ways to use energy, improve recovery, and maximize performance.

The future of endurance fueling may not replace carbohydrates—it may expand the number of tools athletes have available.

For now, the cycling world will be watching closely.

The next generation of race fuel may not come from adding more sugar. It may come from understanding how the body already creates energy.