Pack a squash concentrate if you can mix it with sparkling water when you want to drink it; the concentrate will not provide fizz on its own. Choose a ready-to-drink sparkling drink when mixing is impractical, or a larger pressé for a planned post-gym drink rather than a compact bag option. For replacing fluid lost through physical activity, the NHS recommends water.
A small squash concentrate suits a bag with limited space if you can get sparkling water when you are ready to drink. Robinsons describes its Summer Fruits Mini as a concentrate squeezed into a water bottle, not a ready-fizzy drink.
A ready-to-drink sparkling can removes the mixing step. Check its ingredients and nutrition panel rather than assuming that a fruit-focused name tells you how much sugar it contains.
A larger pressé makes more sense when you can accommodate the bottle and its storage instructions. Marks & Spencer says its 750 ml British Strawberry and Elderflower Sparkling Pressé must be refrigerated after opening and consumed within three days.
Start with whether you can mix a drink, then compare the prepared drink’s label and the pack you would actually carry.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Mixing and fizz | Check whether the drink is a concentrate or already carbonated. For squash, check the dilution instructions and whether sparkling water will be available. | I have room for concentrate and can get sparkling water when I need it; otherwise, I would rather open a ready-to-drink option. |
| Drink after exercise | Consider water separately from flavoured drinks. The NHS says water is the preferred way to replace fluid lost through physical activity. | After a sweaty session, I want water available rather than relying on a fizzy drink as my only option. |
| Sugar and acidity | Compare nutrition on the same basis, such as per 100 ml of prepared drink, and read the ingredients. Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board notes that carbonated drinks are acidic even when they contain no sugar. | If I expect to drink it frequently, both the sugar shown on the label and the acidity of a fizzy option matter to me. |
| Pack and storage | Check the individual serving and the pack you must store. For M&S British Strawberry and Elderflower Sparkling Pressé, Marks & Spencer specifies a 750 ml bottle and refrigeration after opening, with consumption within three days. | A single drink is easier for me to take to the gym; I would choose a larger bottle only when I can store what remains as directed. |
Robinsons describes its Mini squash as something to squeeze into a water bottle. The concentrate does not supply carbonation.
Arrange sparkling water for mixing, or choose a ready-to-drink carbonated option when that is not practical.
Rocks describes its Zesty Lemon Sparkling Can as containing natural sugar. That is a different proposition from a squash labelled no added sugar.
Read the exact drink’s ingredients and compare nutrition per 100 ml on a prepared-drink basis.
The NHS recommends water for replacing fluid lost through physical activity. Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board also warns that acidic carbonated drinks can wear away enamel, including those without sugar.
Keep water available around exercise and consider how often you sip a fizzy drink.
M&S British Strawberry and Elderflower Sparkling Pressé comes in a 750 ml bottle. Marks & Spencer says to refrigerate it after opening and consume it within three days.
Check whether a single-serving drink or concentrate better fits the session and your plans for storing an opened bottle.
A squash option for shoppers who can dilute a concentrate with water when they are ready to drink.
Offers a ready-to-drink sparkling fruit can as well as dilutable squash.
Distinguishes squash that can be mixed with sparkling water from ready-to-drink sparkling pressé.
A range in which to compare own-label squash with listed branded options.
A range that includes own-label concentrates and branded squash.
These options include squash concentrates to mix with sparkling water and ready-to-drink fizzy drinks for times when mixing is impractical.
No image available
A ready-to-drink fizzy option when you cannot mix squash with sparkling water. The pack contains 24 individual 330 ml cans; this is a soft drink, not a squash concentrate.
No image available
A dilutable squash for mixing when sparkling water is available. The 1 L bottle does not provide fizz by itself, so consider whether carrying the bottle and separate water suits your bag.
No image available
A ready-to-drink sparkling apple juice in separate 250 ml portions, rather than a squash to dilute. Its listed sugar content is 10.5 g per 100 ml, which matters if you are comparing it with a no-added-sugar option.
No image available
Another concentrate for the mix-with-sparkling-water route, supplied in an 850 ml bottle. It is not fizzy on its own; follow the dilution instructions and check the prepared-drink nutrition on the exact label before comparing it with ready-to-drink options.
Yes. Mix dilutable squash with sparkling water when you are ready to drink it. M&S explicitly suggests still or sparkling water for its squash; check the dilution instructions for the concentrate you choose.
No: a ready-to-drink can is already mixed, while squash is a concentrate you dilute. Rocks describes its Zesty Lemon Sparkling Can as a sparkling fruit drink containing natural sugar, so check its label rather than treating it as no-added-sugar squash.
The NHS says water is the preferred way to replace fluid lost through physical activity. Choose a sparkling drink for its flavour or convenience, not on the assumption that it replaces water more effectively.
No. Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board explains that carbonated drinks are acidic and that even fizzy drinks without sugar can wear away enamel. Sugar content and acidity are separate things to consider when choosing a drink you may sip frequently.