For marathon training, choose a familiar carbohydrate source that suits the session rather than treating any fizzy fruit drink as fuel. A still smoothie can be a pre-run or post-run food option if the portion, your tolerance and chilled storage work for you. For carbohydrate during a long run, practise your chosen food or sports drink in training; carbonation is a separate consideration if it leaves you bloated.
If you want a drink to contribute carbohydrate before or during a long run, its nutrition label and the amount you will actually consume matter more than fruit flavour or fizz. Sports Dietitians Australia advises trying familiar, well-tolerated choices in training rather than experimenting on race day.
If sparkling drinks leave you feeling full or bloated, test a still option instead. The NHS identifies fizzy drinks as one possible contributor to gas and bloating.
You may want fizz for refreshment without expecting it to provide training carbohydrate. Check the exact drink: Tesco Groceries lists 13.4g carbohydrate per 100ml for K.A. Sparkling Fruit Punch, while M&S Food lists 0.6g per 100g for its Diet Pineapple and Grapefruit Sparkling Drink.
Decide whether the drink is for carbohydrate around a run or simply for refreshment. Then compare the exact label, the portion you plan to have and how you respond to it in training.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate for the session | Read carbohydrate per 100ml or 100g, then check the amount in the portion you intend to consume. The UK Sports Institute includes sports drinks among carbohydrate options before and during exercise; that does not make every fruit drink an exercise drink. | For a demanding or prolonged run, I want a carbohydrate source I can deliberately include in my plan, rather than relying on a fruity name. |
| Carbonation and tolerance | Look for carbonated water in the ingredients if you specifically want fizz. Trial the exact drink, amount and timing in training; the NHS notes that fizzy drinks can contribute to gas and bloating. | Fizz sometimes leaves me uncomfortable, so I would rather settle on a drink I have already tried before an important run. |
| Drink type | Check whether the label describes a smoothie, a sparkling soft drink or a sports drink. For example, Tesco Groceries describes K.A. Sparkling Fruit Punch as a soft drink, while its Naked Blue Machine listing describes a refrigerated smoothie. | I want to know what is in the bottle, not assume that fruit flavour means smoothie or that a smoothie is sparkling. |
| Portion and everyday use | Compare the declared serving with the bottle size. UK government 5 A Day guidance says unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies together should be limited to 150ml a day for that guidance; it does not set a marathon-fuelling portion. | When I have a smoothie outside training, I want to distinguish the bottle size from the amount covered by the 5 A Day guidance. |
| Storage | Read the exact storage and use-after-opening instructions before taking a smoothie away from home. Tesco Groceries lists Naked Blue Machine as refrigerated, and M&S Food specifies 0°C to 5°C for its Mango, Pineapple and Passion Fruit Smoothie. | If I am travelling to a run, I need a product I can store as its label requires. |
The formats can differ substantially. M&S Food lists 13.5g carbohydrate per 100g for its Mango, Pineapple and Passion Fruit Smoothie, but 0.6g per 100g for its carbonated Diet Pineapple and Grapefruit Sparkling Drink.
Read the product description, ingredients and carbohydrate value for the exact bottle. If fizz matters to you, confirm that it is carbonated.
The NHS notes that fizzy drinks can contribute to gas and bloating. Sports Dietitians Australia recommends using training to trial food and timing rather than experimenting on competition day.
If you want to drink something sparkling around a run, try the exact drink and a familiar amount during training first.
A low-carbohydrate sparkling drink serves a different purpose from a planned carbohydrate source. M&S Food lists just 0.6g carbohydrate per 100g for its Diet Pineapple and Grapefruit Sparkling Drink.
Decide whether you want refreshment or carbohydrate for the session, then check the nutrition panel for the portion you intend to drink.
Some bottled smoothies need refrigeration, which affects whether they are practical to take travelling or to an outdoor session. Tesco Groceries says to keep Naked Blue Machine refrigerated; M&S Food specifies 0°C to 5°C for its Mango, Pineapple and Passion Fruit Smoothie.
Check the chosen bottle’s storage and use-after-opening instructions before taking it away from refrigeration.
These product examples show why the exact drink matters more than the brand name: the group includes still smoothies and sparkling soft drinks.
Waitrose & Partners lists Berry Energise as a fruit-and-vegetable super smoothie, not a sparkling drink.
Tesco Groceries lists Blue Machine as a refrigerated smoothie.
Its listed Mango, Pineapple and Passion Fruit Smoothie and Diet Pineapple and Grapefruit Sparkling Drink are different drink formats.
Tesco Groceries describes Sparkling Fruit Punch as a sparkling mixed-fruit-flavour soft drink, not a smoothie.
This Joybuy option is a fruit smoothie to consider for a pre-run or post-run occasion. Choose drinks for during a long run according to your planned carbohydrate intake and what you have tolerated in training.
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This 180ml coconut-milk papaya smoothie is a fruit-based option to consider before or after a run. Check the label for carbohydrate in the portion you plan to drink and for storage instructions; try a familiar portion during training.
Do not choose one simply because it is fruity or contains sugar. The NHS notes that fizzy drinks can contribute to bloating, while Sports Dietitians Australia advises practising familiar, well-tolerated food and drink choices in training. If you want fizz, check the drink’s carbohydrate content and try the exact drink and amount before race day.
It could be an option if you tolerate a familiar portion and can store it as directed. Tesco Groceries lists 12g carbohydrate per 100ml for Naked Blue Machine, while M&S Food lists 13.5g per 100g for its Mango, Pineapple and Passion Fruit Smoothie. Check the amount in the portion you would actually have rather than assuming either bottle suits every runner.
Check the exact label before using it for that purpose. M&S Food lists only 0.6g carbohydrate per 100g for its Diet Pineapple and Grapefruit Sparkling Drink, so fruit flavour and fizz do not tell you how much carbohydrate a drink supplies.
For the UK 5 A Day message, government guidance says unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies together should be limited to a total of 150ml per day. That is everyday dietary guidance, not a portion prescribed for marathon training.
Check whether you can follow that bottle’s storage instructions while travelling. Tesco Groceries lists Naked Blue Machine as refrigerated, and M&S Food specifies 0°C to 5°C for its Mango, Pineapple and Passion Fruit Smoothie. Read the exact label for storage and use-after-opening directions before taking one away from home.