Who is this choice for?

First-time marathon trainees

Separate a drink you enjoy from a measurable source of carbohydrate. Work out and practise your long-run fuelling plan before deciding whether squash has a place alongside it.

Runners who prefer fizzy drinks

Squash can be mixed with sparkling water, but try the combination during training. The NHS identifies fizzy drinks as a possible cause of gas and bloating; keep still water as an alternative if they bother you.

Supermarket shoppers comparing concentrates

UK retailer ranges include no-added-sugar squash and concentrates of different strengths. Compare the exact bottle’s dilution directions and prepared-drink nutrition rather than judging its fuelling role by the format or flavour name.

What should you check first?

Decide whether you need measurable carbohydrate during the run, then choose a drink format you can practise and tolerate.

Priority What to check Your needs
Long-run fuel Read carbohydrate per prepared serving or per 100ml, then calculate what your intended drinking volume supplies. World Athletics identifies up to 90g of carbohydrate per hour for exercise lasting more than 2.5 hours, using drinks alongside more concentrated options. I want to know whether my drink contributes a measurable amount to a carbohydrate plan I have practised, or is simply flavoured fluid.
Carbonation Try the same water type, squash mixture and drinking volume in training. Fizzy drinks can contribute to gas and bloating, according to the NHS. If sparkling drinks leave me feeling bloated, I would rather use still water during a run.
Dilution Follow the exact variant’s mixing directions and compare nutrition at the strength you will drink. Concentrate-level figures alone do not describe a prepared bottle. I need to compare what is in my finished drink, especially when bottles call for different amounts of water.
Drink format Distinguish no-added-sugar, regular, fruit-and-barley and high-juice variants by their own labels. Marks & Spencer suggests mixing squash with still or sparkling water, but that serving choice does not establish its carbohydrate contribution. I may prefer a flavoured drink for everyday use, while choosing a separately planned carbohydrate source for a marathon-specific long run.

Common buying mistakes

  • Assuming sweet-tasting squash is marathon fuel

    Flavour and fruit wording do not tell you how many grams of carbohydrate your prepared drink supplies. World Athletics’ guidance for longer exercise concerns measurable carbohydrate intake, not a drink category.

    Use the exact product’s nutrition and dilution directions to calculate its contribution at your intended volume. Plan another carbohydrate source if the squash is only serving as flavoured fluid.

  • Trying sparkling squash for the first time on race day

    Fizzy drinks can contribute to gas and bloating, according to the NHS. A flavour you like at home may therefore be uncomfortable to drink while running.

    Trial the squash, water type, dilution and volume during training. Switch to still water if carbonation causes discomfort.

  • Comparing concentrates as though they are ready to drink

    Squash varieties can have different mixing directions. Comparing undiluted figures can give the wrong impression of what is in a prepared cup or bottle.

    Follow each variant’s directions and compare carbohydrate per 100ml of prepared drink and per amount you intend to carry.

Brand and retailer ranges to compare

These ranges illustrate different squash formats; a brand or retailer name does not establish whether an individual drink fits a fuelling plan.

Robinsons

Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose list Robinsons squash varieties, including no-added-sugar and fruit-and-barley options.

  • Compare the flavour and concentrate style of the exact variant you intend to mix.
  • The brand name cannot tell you how much carbohydrate a prepared serving contains.

Tesco

Tesco Groceries lists own-label quadruple-strength squash alongside branded concentrates.

  • Its listed formats give shoppers different dilution directions to compare.
  • Check the individual bottle rather than transferring nutrition figures between strengths.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s Groceries lists own-label quadruple-strength squash and Robinsons no-added-sugar and Fruit Creations variants.

  • The listed variants allow comparison of concentrate formats and labels.
  • A fruit-led flavour name does not establish a suitable carbohydrate contribution for a run.

Waitrose

Waitrose lists Essential no-added-sugar squash, High Juice variants and Robinsons products.

  • Own-label and branded options offer several labels to compare.
  • “High Juice” is not a measure of prepared-drink carbohydrate; Waitrose also notes that supply can affect availability.

M&S

Marks & Spencer suggests pairing its squash flavours with either still or sparkling water.

  • The serving suggestion gives a straightforward way to compare still and fizzy versions of a drink you enjoy.
  • A sparkling serving suggestion is not a measure of its suitability as marathon fuel.

Joybuy squash option

This squash concentrate is an option for mixing with water, including sparkling water if you tolerate it. Check the prepared drink before counting it towards long-run carbohydrate intake.

Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar Concentrate 1.5L

Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar Concentrate 1.5L

For a flavoured drink, try mixing this concentrate with sparkling water during training rather than introducing it on race day. Check the exact dilution and prepared-drink carbohydrate before treating it as part of a fuelling plan; use still water if carbonation causes discomfort.

View on Joybuy

Questions about squash and running

Can sparkling squash fuel a marathon?

Not on the strength of its category name. World Athletics identifies up to 90g of carbohydrate per hour for exercise lasting more than 2.5 hours, with carbohydrate drinks and more concentrated options among the ways to supply it. Count a squash drink only to the extent that its prepared-drink label lets you calculate and practise its contribution; otherwise use it as flavoured fluid alongside a separate fuelling plan.

Should I drink sparkling squash during a long run?

Only if you have tried the same mixture and volume in training and find them comfortable. The NHS identifies fizzy drinks as a possible cause of gas and bloating, so choose still water if carbonation bothers you.

How do I compare regular, no-added-sugar and high-juice squash?

Compare each exact variant after following its stated dilution directions, using the prepared drink’s carbohydrate figures rather than the front-of-pack description. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose list several squash formats; one variant’s nutrition should not be applied to another.