"We don't use it all the time": Pogacar's nutritionist explains how they use lactate in the Tour

Just a few days ago, UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Enervit officially confirmed that Tadej Pogačar is using exogenous lactate during the 2026 Tour de France, putting an end to the speculation that arose after images of the world champion consuming a prototype gel during the descent of the Tourmalet. Now, it has been the team's own nutritionist, Gorka Prieto-Bellver, who has explained for the first time how they are using this new nutritional strategy and why, for now, it is not part of the regular diet of the riders.

UAE explains how Pogacar is using lactate in the Tour: “We use it when it is really necessary”

Now, in statements to Cyclingnews, Prieto-Bellver detailed both the product development process and the strategy currently followed by UAE Team Emirates-XRG in the race.

The nutritionist of the Emirati team explained that the development of the new product has not been something improvised, but the result of several years of joint work with Enervit. “We have been working with Enervit for two or three years trying to develop the best possible product”.

The product, called Enervit C2:1PRO Lactate Gel Mix, combines 90 grams of carbohydrates in a 2:1 ratio of glucose and fructose with 10 grams of sodium lactate. Unlike traditional gels, it is mixed with water and consumed from a bottle.

RECOMENDADO

Confirmed: Pogacar is taking lactate products in the Tour de France

How are lactate gels used and what do they provide?

Is Pogacar using lactate gels in the Tour de France?

Lactate gels: the next revolution in cycling is brewing in Spain

Another big day for Pogacar at the Tour? Schedule and highlights of Stage 14

Urolithin A enters the radar of professional cycling: the supplement that promises to enhance recovery

Prieto-Bellver also explained what the team's main interest is in this new nutritional strategy. “Lactate can be used as an additional source of energy because it is absorbed differently in the intestine. It is absorbed faster than glucose, which is why it is an interesting fuel to provide extra energy to the riders,” he stated.

These statements coincide with the scientific hypothesis that is driving the development of lactate products in high-level cycling. Unlike traditional carbohydrates, lactate uses different intestinal transport mechanisms, which opens the possibility of providing energy without relying solely on the absorption of glucose and fructose.

For years, the increase in carbohydrate intake has marked the evolution of sports nutrition. The emergence of lactate now presents a complementary pathway that could further expand energy availability during maximum intensity efforts.

They do not use it all the time

One of the most striking aspects of the UAE nutritionist's statements is that the team is not using this product systematically. According to him, they debuted it in the team time trial that opened the Tour de France and later used it again during stage 14, the first major mountain day in the Pyrenees.

“We use it when it is really necessary, not always,” he explained. “It is not for every stage, but for those where the energy expenditure is especially high,” he added.

This strategy is striking because the Tour had already faced other days of great wear and tear where the product was not used, which shows that the team continues to carefully select when to resort to this new nutritional tool.

Although UAE Team Emirates-XRG has been collaborating for several seasons in the development of the product, Prieto-Bellver acknowledged that there are still questions to be answered about its true impact in competition.

“It is not something completely new, but we still need to continue researching to know what its real impact is,” he pointed out.

Precisely for this reason, the team continues to use it only in specific situations. “It is something we have to test because, if we don’t, we will never really know how it works. That’s why we are using it,” he concluded.

His words make it clear that, despite the solid scientific basis supporting the use of lactate as an energy source, UAE Team Emirates-XRG continues to gather information in real competition conditions.