Runners choosing water for everyday drinking
Plain bottled water may suit daily use and easier runs when you are not relying on the bottle for carbohydrate during exercise.
Who is this for?
Runners planning longer sessions
If you carry water on a long run, plan how you will carry or obtain carbohydrate fuel separately.
Runners who prefer flavoured water
Compare the exact flavour and nutrition label if you want a sugar-free drink, and keep that choice separate from your fuelling plan.
What should you check?
Decide what you need the bottle to do during the session, then check its label and carrying format. A water choice and a carbohydrate-fuelling choice answer different questions.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday hydration | Choose between plain still water and a flavoured variant. Check the exact flavoured product’s sugar declaration rather than assuming every flavour has the same recipe. | I want water for daily drinking or an easier run, without expecting my drink to supply exercise fuel. |
| Long-run fuel | Check session duration and plan a separate carbohydrate source. British Dietetic Association guidance describes 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour for events lasting 1–2.5 hours, and up to 90 g per hour for events lasting more than 2.5–3 hours; these are exercise-feeding guidelines, not amounts supplied by bottled water. | On a longer run, I need to work out how food, gels or another planned source will fit alongside my water. |
| Mineral content | Compare sodium figures for the exact plain-water variant and the same unit, such as mg/L. Highland Spring reports 5.6 mg/L for its water; evian lists 6.5 mg/L on its 1 L page, Volvic lists 12 mg/L for its 500 ml natural mineral water, and Buxton lists 24 mg/L for its sparkling water. Do not apply those figures to a different flavoured or still variant without checking. | Minerals may influence which water I buy, but a sodium figure alone does not settle my fluid and fuelling arrangements for a long run. |
| Bottle format | Check volume, cap type and whether you can carry and open the bottle as intended. evian describes a sport cap on its UK 750 ml bottle; confirm the cap on the pack you select. | If I am taking water while moving, the bottle needs to work with how I carry it and access it. |
Common buying mistakes
Using plain or sugar-free water as long-run fuel
Water does not supply the carbohydrate described in British Dietetic Association guidance for prolonged exercise. A sugar-free flavour does not change that role.
Plan a separate carbohydrate source alongside your drink and try the combination during training.
Treating a mineral figure as a complete running plan
Brand-published sodium figures differ by water and variant. They do not establish how much fluid or carbohydrate a particular runner needs.
Read the composition of the bottle you intend to use, without substituting its mineral content for a planned drink-and-fuel routine.
Assuming all flavoured waters have the same recipe
Volvic labels its Touch of Fruit Summer Fruits variant sugar free, while its Touch of Fruit Strawberry page describes a different, low-sugar product. The flavour name alone is not enough to identify its sugar content.
Check the individual bottle’s nutrition information and serving size before choosing it for your sugar preference.
Brand and retailer references
These references describe particular water ranges or listings; they do not establish that every variant has the same composition.
Highland Spring
A plain-water option for everyday drinking.
- Highland Spring describes its water as lightly mineralised and reports 5.6 mg/L sodium.
- That figure describes the brand’s water, not every flavoured product bearing its name, and says nothing about carbohydrate fuel.
evian
Natural mineral water offered in a UK 750 ml sport-cap format.
- evian describes the 750 ml sport cap as easy to open; its separate 1 L composition page lists 6.5 mg/L sodium, 80 mg/L calcium and 26 mg/L magnesium.
- Check the selected pack’s cap and label. A convenient bottle format does not provide carbohydrate for a long run.
Volvic
Offers plain mineral water and separate flavoured-water ranges.
- Volvic lists 12 mg/L sodium for its 500 ml natural mineral water and labels its Touch of Fruit Summer Fruits Sugar Free variant sugar free.
- Do not transfer the plain water’s mineral figure to a flavoured variant or assume every Touch of Fruit drink is sugar free.
Buxton
Offers still and sparkling natural mineral water.
- Buxton lists 24 mg/L sodium, 55 mg/L calcium and 19 mg/L magnesium for its sparkling water.
- Those sparkling-water figures should not be assigned to a still-water pack without checking its own label.
Tesco
A retailer listing both own-label and named bottled waters in different pack sizes.
- Tesco Groceries lists Tesco British Natural Mineral Water alongside Highland Spring, Buxton and evian products.
- Check each product’s label for its own composition rather than assuming the retailer’s waters share one profile.
Joybuy water options
These options cover plain and sugar-free flavoured bottled water for routine drinking or carrying to training. For a longer session, choose any separate carbohydrate fuel as part of your own plan rather than treating these waters as fuel.
No image availableBuxton Still Water, 8 × 500 ml
A still-water multipack for routine drinking or taking individual bottles to training. It does not replace carbohydrate fuel for a long run; check this still variant’s label if its mineral composition matters to you.
No image availableHighland Spring Sugar Free Strawberry Still Water, 1.25 L
A strawberry-flavoured still-water option if you prefer a sugar-free drink for routine use. Check the current nutrition and ingredient label for details that matter to you; do not use it in place of planned carbohydrate fuel.
No image availableVolvic Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free Water, 6 × 500 ml
Individual flavoured-water bottles for carrying to training or keeping for routine drinking. Check this strawberry variant’s label rather than applying nutrition details from another Volvic flavour; it is not a substitute for long-run carbohydrate fuel.
No image availableevian Water, 12 × 750 ml
A multipack of 750 ml bottles if that size works for how you carry water. evian describes a sport cap on its UK 750 ml format; check the selected pack’s cap before relying on it for drinking while moving. Take separate carbohydrate fuel for prolonged exercise.
No image availableIcelandic Glacial Mineral Water, 750 ml PET Sports Cap
A sports-cap bottle to consider if its 750 ml size fits your carrying arrangements. Check the current label if you want to compare mineral composition; plain water is not carbohydrate fuel for a long run.
Questions about water and training
Can bottled water fuel a marathon long run?
Plain bottled water does not provide carbohydrate fuel. British Dietetic Association guidance describes carbohydrate intake during prolonged exercise, so plan a separate source alongside your water and try your routine during training.
Is sugar-free flavoured water a substitute for a fuelling drink?
No: choose sugar-free flavoured water for the drink and flavour you prefer, not as your planned carbohydrate source. Volvic labels its Touch of Fruit Summer Fruits Sugar Free product sugar free; check the exact variant you buy because flavoured-water recipes differ.
Do minerals in bottled water settle what I need for a long run?
A mineral figure alone does not settle your fluid and fuelling plan. Brand-published sodium values vary between the particular waters listed here, and none of those figures tells you how much to drink or supplies carbohydrate fuel. Compare the label on your chosen variant and plan fuel separately.