Riders planning longer sessions
For indoor rides lasting over 90 minutes, British Cycling gives 30–60g carbohydrate per hour as a rule of thumb. If you use cola for some of that carbohydrate, plan your other drinks separately.
Who is this for?
Cyclists considering a family-size bottle
A 2-litre bottle can be portioned before a ride, but the amount of carbohydrate in each portion depends on the exact cola. Check the label rather than treating all regular or reduced-sugar formulas alike.
Riders choosing cola for its flavour
A zero-sugar formula may suit a flavour preference without providing ride carbohydrate. For example, Coca-Cola GB lists 0g carbohydrate per 100ml for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Zero Caffeine; any carbohydrate needed during the ride must come from something else.
What matters when choosing?
Decide how you will carry fluids and carbohydrate before choosing a cola formula or measuring a portion.
Separate drinks and fuel
Consider when: You want to plan water, an electrolyte drink and carbohydrate independently for a prolonged ride.
Trade-off: This means carrying or obtaining more than one item.
Measured regular cola
Consider when: You want cola to provide some carbohydrate and have a separate plan for fluids and electrolytes.
Trade-off: You need to measure the portion against the exact bottle label; regular formulas differ.
Zero-sugar cola for flavour
Consider when: You want cola flavour without counting the drink towards carbohydrate intake.
Trade-off: A formula labelled 0g carbohydrate requires a separate carbohydrate source if your ride calls for one.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Ride carbohydrate | Check carbohydrate per 100ml and work out the amount in your planned portion. British Cycling gives 30–60g per hour as a rule of thumb for indoor rides over 90 minutes. | For a longer session, I want to know how much carbohydrate my chosen portion actually provides, alongside anything else I eat or drink. |
| Fluids and electrolytes | Plan drinking water and any electrolyte drink separately. Coca-Cola GB lists 0g salt per 100ml for Original Taste; British Cycling describes Team Sky riders using both water and an electrolyte drink. | I do not want a sweet fizzy drink to be my only plan for drinking during a prolonged ride. |
| Exact formula | Compare the labels: Coca-Cola GB lists 10.6g carbohydrate per 100ml for Original Taste, while Pepsi UK and ASDA Groceries each list 4.6g for their named regular colas. Check sugar-free status and the caffeine declaration where relevant. | If I switch brands or choose zero-sugar cola, I need to recalculate rather than reuse a portion worked out for another formula. |
| Portion size | Measure what you intend to take from the 2-litre bottle. Tesco lists its 2-litre Coca-Cola bottle as eight 250ml servings, with 27g sugar per serving. | A family-size bottle is more than one riding portion; I would rather decant a planned amount than drink without keeping track. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Counting zero-sugar cola as ride fuel
Coca-Cola GB lists 0g carbohydrate per 100ml for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Zero Caffeine. That formula cannot contribute to a carbohydrate target.
If you choose a zero-sugar drink, obtain any carbohydrate needed for the ride from another food or drink.
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Using cola as the whole drinking plan
Coca-Cola Original Taste lists 0g salt per 100ml, so its carbohydrate content does not make it equivalent to the separate water and electrolyte drink described in British Cycling’s prolonged-ride example.
Plan fluids and electrolytes separately if you decide to take regular cola as a carbohydrate source.
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Drinking straight from the family-size bottle
Tesco lists eight 250ml servings in a 2-litre Coca-Cola bottle, with 27g sugar in each serving. An unmeasured amount makes it harder to keep track of intake.
Decant the amount you intend to use and calculate carbohydrate from that bottle’s label.
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Assuming all regular colas have the same formula
Coca-Cola GB lists 10.6g carbohydrate per 100ml for Original Taste; Pepsi UK and ASDA Groceries each list 4.6g per 100ml for their named regular colas. The same volume therefore supplies different amounts of carbohydrate.
Check carbohydrate per 100ml on the product you are buying before deciding how much to carry.
Cola brand references
These figures apply to the named UK formulas, not every drink sold under each brand.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola GB lists 10.6g carbohydrate and 10.6g sugars per 100ml for Original Taste; Tesco lists a 2-litre bottle.
- The labelled carbohydrate amount lets you calculate a measured portion for a ride.
- Original Taste lists 0g salt per 100ml. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Zero Caffeine is a different formula, listed at 0g carbohydrate per 100ml.
Pepsi
Pepsi UK lists 4.6g carbohydrate and 4.5g sugars per 100ml for Pepsi Classic.
- Its stated carbohydrate content can be used to calculate a portion of this formula.
- It supplies less carbohydrate per 100ml than the named Coca-Cola Original Taste formula, and Pepsi UK lists less than 0.01g salt per 100ml.
ASDA
ASDA Groceries lists Classic Cola in a 2-litre bottle, with 4.6g carbohydrate and 4.5g sugars per 100ml.
- The bottle size and per-100ml values make it possible to measure a chosen portion.
- The label lists 0.03g salt per 100ml; do not assume this cola replaces a planned electrolyte drink.
Joybuy 2-litre cola multipacks
These multipacks include a regular cola to consider as measured supplementary carbohydrate and two zero-carbohydrate options to consider for flavour. Choose the formula before deciding whether a bottle belongs in your ride-fuelling plan.
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Pepsi Regular 8 × 2L
For measured supplementary carbohydrate when water and electrolytes are planned separately. The listed formula has 4.6g carbohydrate per 100ml; calculate your portion from the bottle label rather than using amounts for another cola.
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Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 2L × 6
A cola-flavour option rather than a carbohydrate source: this product lists 0g carbohydrate and 0g sugars per 100ml. If your ride calls for carbohydrate, plan another source; do not treat this drink as an electrolyte replacement.
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Diet Coke Caffeine Free 2L × 6
A diet-cola option for flavour, not ride carbohydrate: it lists 0g carbohydrate and 0g sugars per 100ml. If caffeine content matters to you, check the pack label before buying rather than relying on the Caffeine Free name.
Questions about cola on a ride
Can regular cola replace a sports drink on a long ride?
Do not rely on regular cola as your whole fluid and electrolyte plan. It can provide carbohydrate, but Coca-Cola GB lists 0g salt per 100ml for Original Taste, while British Cycling describes Team Sky riders using both water and an electrolyte drink during prolonged riding.
How much carbohydrate is in a portion of regular Coca-Cola?
Coca-Cola GB lists 10.6g carbohydrate per 100ml for Original Taste, which works out to 26.5g in 250ml; Tesco lists 27g sugar per 250ml serving of its 2-litre bottle. For context, British Cycling gives 30–60g carbohydrate per hour as a rule of thumb for indoor rides over 90 minutes. Count other food and drink too, and plan fluids separately.
Does zero-sugar cola provide cycling carbohydrate?
A formula listing 0g carbohydrate does not: Coca-Cola GB gives that value per 100ml for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Zero Caffeine. If you choose it for flavour and need carbohydrate during your ride, take another source.
Can I use the same portion size for any regular cola?
Not if you are calculating carbohydrate. Coca-Cola GB lists 10.6g per 100ml for Original Taste, whereas Pepsi UK and ASDA Groceries each list 4.6g per 100ml for their named regular colas. Use the label on the exact bottle to work out your portion.