Marathon trainees planning long runs
If you are planning what to consume during a longer or harder session, choose amounts of carbohydrate and fluid deliberately rather than relying on a drink because it tastes sweet.
Who is choosing these drinks?
Runners choosing an off-run fizzy drink
If you want lemonade after training or at another time, a lower-sugar pack may fit that purpose. Fizzy acidity remains relevant even when a drink contains little sugar.
Households buying cans to share
Pack size may matter more than training use. Check the exact cans to distinguish regular, sugar-and-sweetener and diet formulations.
What should you check before buying?
Decide whether the drink is intended for use during a run or for refreshment at another time, then read the nutrition panel for the exact can and serving size.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate during a run | Check carbohydrate per can and how much you plan to consume per hour. A 2015 sports-nutrition review in Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde | I need a planned amount during a long or hard run, not just a sweet-tasting drink. Sainsbury's lists 15g carbohydrate per 330ml can of Sprite 18 × 330ml. |
| Diet versus regular | Read carbohydrate and sugars per can, not just the flavour or pack name. Sainsbury's Diet Lemonade 6 × 330ml lists less than 0.5g of each per can. | For a fizzy drink away from training, I may prefer little sugar; if I need carbohydrate during exercise, a diet can does not serve that purpose. |
| Fluid and salt | Check the serving size and any declared salt or sodium. A lemonade label alone does not establish whether the drink meets an individual runner's fluid or electrolyte needs. | I want to plan what I will drink during the session rather than assume a canned soft drink covers everything. |
| Fizzy-drink exposure | Check whether the drink is carbonated, including lower-sugar options. The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion because of their acid content, regardless of sweetener choice. | If I drink lemonade regularly, reducing sugar is one consideration, but it does not remove the acidity consideration. |
| Pack format | Check the number of cans, volume per can and nutrition values on the exact pack. Similar drinks are sold in different multipack sizes. | I want cans that suit how they will be shared or stored, without confusing a larger household pack with a training plan. |
What can go wrong with the choice?
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Expecting diet lemonade to provide running fuel
Sainsbury's Diet Lemonade 6 × 330ml lists less than 0.5g carbohydrate per can, so it does not provide a meaningful amount for a carbohydrate-fuelling plan.
Choose it for a lower-sugar fizzy drink, and plan carbohydrate separately if the session calls for it.
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Assuming a regular can is a complete sports drink
Sainsbury's lists 15g carbohydrate per 330ml Sprite can, and Asda lists 7.9g sugars per 330ml R. White's can. Neither label establishes a complete hourly carbohydrate, fluid and electrolyte plan for a long run.
Work from the carbohydrate amount you intend to consume and check the instructions and serving size of any product chosen for exercise.
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Treating sugar-free as free from dental considerations
The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion due to acidity, whether they contain sugar or lower- or no-calorie sweeteners.
Consider how often you sip fizzy lemonade, including lower-sugar varieties.
Which brands and ranges are relevant?
R. White's
Asda lists R. White's Lemonade in a 24 × 330ml can pack.
- Asda lists 7.9g sugars and 0.1g salt per 330ml can.
- Those label values do not make the can a complete long-run fuelling plan.
Sprite
Sainsbury's lists an 18 × 330ml Sprite multipack; pack sizes on other listings may differ.
- Sainsbury's lists 15g carbohydrate and 15g sugars per can in that pack.
- One can falls below the 30g lower end of the hourly range cited for high-intensity exercise lasting 1 to 2.5 hours in a 2015 sports-nutrition review.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's Diet Lemonade is listed in a 6 × 330ml can pack.
- Its label lists less than 0.5g carbohydrate and less than 0.5g sugars per can.
- It is a lower-sugar refreshment choice, not a source of carbohydrate for a run.
Tesco
Tesco's lemonade range lists Tesco Diet Lemonade Cans 6 × 330ml alongside other canned lemon-and-lime drinks.
- The listed format allows shoppers to compare a smaller diet pack with larger multipacks.
- Read the exact can label before relying on its carbohydrate, sugar or salt content.
M&S
The M&S lemonade range includes bottled regular and diet options, which differ from the canned multipack format considered here.
- A 1-litre bottle is not an interchangeable choice if individual cans are the reason for buying a multipack.
Joybuy canned lemon drink options
These lemon and lemon-and-lime can multipacks are options for refreshment away from training. Choose between regular and Zero-labelled drinks by checking the exact can label; none should be treated as a complete long-run fuelling plan on the strength of its name or pack size.
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Karma Lemony Can 24 × 250ml
A 24-can lemon drink pack for sharing or occasional refreshment. Check the carbohydrate and sugars per 250ml can if either matters to your choice.
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Fanta Lemon 24 × 330ml
A 24-can lemon drink pack for occasions away from a run. Read the carbohydrate and sugars per 330ml can before comparing it with a training-fuel plan.
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7 Up Lemonade Zero 24 × 330ml
A Zero-labelled canned lemonade option for off-run refreshment, rather than a carbohydrate-fuelling choice. Check the exact label for nutrition and sweetener information; the NHS notes that fizzy-drink acidity remains relevant regardless of sugar content.
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7UP Zero 330ml 24-pack
A Zero-labelled lemon-and-lime can pack for refreshment away from training. Check the can label for carbohydrate, sugars and sweetener information rather than choosing it to supply running fuel.
Frequently asked questions
Can lemonade cans be my only fuel during a long run?
Do not treat a can as a stand-alone fuelling plan. A 2015 sports-nutrition review in Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde advises 30–60g carbohydrate per hour for high-intensity exercise lasting 1 to 2.5 hours; Sainsbury's lists 15g per 330ml Sprite can, while its diet lemonade lists less than 0.5g per can. Plan carbohydrate and fluid intake for the session rather than assuming either drink covers both.
How much carbohydrate is in the listed Sprite multipack?
Sainsbury's lists 15g carbohydrate per 330ml can in its Sprite 18 × 330ml pack. That label figure describes the drink, not its suitability as a complete sports drink; check the exact pack if you are comparing serving sizes.
When does diet lemonade make sense?
Diet lemonade makes sense as a lower-sugar fizzy drink when carbohydrate fuel is not the purpose. Sainsbury's Diet Lemonade 6 × 330ml lists less than 0.5g sugars and less than 0.5g carbohydrate per can.
Does sugar-free lemonade avoid the dental concern?
No. The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion due to acid content regardless of whether they contain sugar or lower- or no-calorie sweeteners. Choosing a lower-sugar can does not remove that consideration.