Matt is joined by Dr David Lipman to discuss one of the newest and most talked-about supplements emerging in elite endurance sport: lactate gels.
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The conversation has gained attention around the Tour de France, with companies including From Lab to Field, Enervit and Santa Madre developing lactate-based products. Unlike glucose and fructose, which rely primarily on SGLT1 and GLUT5 transporters in the gut, lactate uses monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs). This potentially provides athletes with another pathway to absorb and utilise energy alongside traditional carbohydrate fueling.
The concept isn't completely new, but delivering meaningful amounts of lactate without creating gastrointestinal or taste problems has historically been difficult. From Lab to Field is developing a patented hydrogel designed to improve lactate delivery and tolerance while producing a less acidic product. Early prototypes have reportedly combined around 5 g of lactate with 40 g of carbohydrate.
There are also interesting possibilities beyond simply providing additional energy. Lactate can be used as fuel by the muscles, heart and brain and also acts as a signalling molecule. Researchers are investigating whether supplementation could influence glycogen replenishment, recovery and metabolic responses during exercise.
There are already some impressive performance claims circulating, including improvements in power output and reductions in fatigue, but the evidence remains preliminary. Much of the exciting data appears to come from research connected to the companies developing the products and still needs independent replication.
One particularly interesting possibility is that lactate supplementation may have different effects below versus above the first lactate threshold. Elite athletes reportedly using lactate alongside very high carbohydrate intakes of around 90-120+ g/h have described positive experiences, but exactly how much additional benefit lactate provides remains uncertain.
The discussion also compares lactate with exogenous ketones, another alternative fuel that has generated significant interest in endurance sport. Ketones have produced mixed performance results, although emerging research suggests potential benefits in areas such as heat tolerance, recovery, altitude exposure, sleep and resilience to heavy training.
Both lactate and ketones may eventually have applications outside sport because of their roles as fuels and signalling molecules, particularly in the brain. Overall, lactate gels represent an exciting new area of endurance nutrition, but they're still at the beginning of the research cycle. The potential is significant, but athletes should distinguish promising early findings from benefits that have been independently and consistently demonstrated.
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Lactate Gel Buzz
00:19 Who's Making Them
01:16 How Lactate Fuels
02:53 Hydrogel Delivery Breakthrough
03:58 Legality and Doping Questions
05:20 Performance Claims and Evidence
06:42 Real World Use and Cost
07:43 Beyond Sport Applications
08:56 Ketones Update and Research
11:25 Personal Ketone Use Cases
12:44 Conflicts and Wrap Up
