Buy a mixer-can multipack for a separate drinking occasion, not as the basis of a marathon-training fuelling plan. World Athletics lists 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour for exercise lasting 1–2.5 hours and up to 90 g per hour beyond 2.5 hours; choose and practise a drink, gel or food-based plan around the amount you intend to consume. If you also want mixer cans, check their current labels and consider whether fizzy drinks tend to leave you bloated around a run.
If you are practising a marathon fuelling routine, choose a carbohydrate source by the amount you plan to consume over the session and how well the routine works for you in training. A convenient can format does not answer either question.
A mixer multipack can be a separate purchase for drinks at home or after training. If fizzy drinks tend to leave you bloated, bear that in mind when deciding when to drink one; the NHS identifies fizzy drinks as a possible contributor to gas.
Regular and light tonic variants give you different choices for a non-training drink. Compare the current label of the exact variant for ingredients and nutrition rather than treating a lighter-sounding name as a fuelling claim.
Decide whether the purchase is for fuel during a long run or for a separate drink. Then compare the relevant label information and pack format.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate plan | For a long run, check carbohydrate per serving and how often you intend to consume it. World Athletics lists 30–60 g per hour for 1–2.5 hours of exercise and up to 90 g per hour beyond 2.5 hours. Practise the complete plan in training. | I need a repeatable way to consume my planned carbohydrate amount during a prolonged run, rather than choosing by can count or flavour alone. |
| Fizz and timing | Check whether the drink is carbonated and consider when you would drink it. The NHS identifies fizzy drinks as a possible contributor to gas and bloating; your own response matters when practising a running routine. | If fizz tends to leave me bloated, I would rather keep it separate from drinks I use before or during a run. |
| Label and pack | Compare carbohydrate and sugar per 100 ml and per can, then check ingredients, allergens, can size and pack count on the current product label. | For a mixer I plan to drink on another occasion, I want the flavour and contents of the exact variant to suit me. I also need to know how much drink the multipack contains. |
Several ready-to-drink cans are easy to count, but the number of cans does not tell you how much carbohydrate you would consume per hour.
Use the current carbohydrate declaration to plan amounts and timing against the duration of your run. World Athletics lists 30–60 g per hour for 1–2.5 hours of exercise and up to 90 g per hour beyond 2.5 hours; practise the plan in training.
A lower-calorie mixer is a choice for a different drinking occasion, not evidence that it fits a deliberate carbohydrate-intake plan. Fever-Tree describes its Refreshingly Light Indian Tonic as lower in calories than its regular variant.
If carbohydrate delivery is the purpose, compare the exact drink’s carbohydrate amount per serving with your planned intake instead of choosing by the word “light”.
Fizzy drinks can contribute to gas and bloating, according to the NHS. That matters particularly if you already notice those effects when running.
Practise your intended drink routine during training. If fizz causes you discomfort, consider a non-carbonated option for the period before and during your run.
Can sizes and product formulations can differ, so an older listing or the label of another flavour may not describe the pack you will drink.
Check the current pack for its nutrition declaration, ingredients, allergens, can volume, pack count and date marking before deciding whether it suits your intended use.
These are references for choosing a mixer for a separate occasion, not endorsements of mixers as marathon fuel.
Fever-Tree describes its Indian tonic waters as mixers for spirits and offers regular and Refreshingly Light variants.
Tesco Groceries has listed regular and slimline Schweppes tonic water in 12 × 150 ml can packs.
Fentimans presents its tonic waters as mixers. Its published information for Premium Indian Tonic Water lists 4.4 g carbohydrate and less than 0.01 g sodium per 100 ml.
Britvic’s soft-drink portfolio includes mixers. Its 2016 range announcement mentioned 150 ml mixer cans.
These products are sports drinks in bottle multipacks, rather than mixer cans. If you are buying for long-run fuelling, compare each drink’s current carbohydrate label with the amounts and timing in the plan you practise during training.
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This bottled sports-drink multipack is an option to assess for a planned training routine, not a substitute for working out intake over the whole run. The pack contains 12 × 500 ml bottles. Check the current carbohydrate declaration per bottle and whether the drink suits the routine you practise.
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This is another bottled option to compare with a long-run drink-and-fuel plan, rather than a mixer-can purchase. The pack contains 24 × 500 ml bottles. Check the current label for carbohydrate per serving and practise the amount and timing you intend to use.
Do not choose a tonic multipack as the basis of a long-run carbohydrate plan. World Athletics lists 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour for 1–2.5 hours of exercise and up to 90 g per hour beyond 2.5 hours. Choose a drink, gel or food-based routine by the carbohydrate amount you intend to consume and practise it in training.
If fizzy drinks tend to leave you bloated, they may be a poor fit around your run. The NHS identifies fizzy drinks as a possible contributor to gas and bloating. Practise any drink routine you intend to use while running rather than trying it for the first time at an event.
Check the current label for can size, pack count, carbohydrate and sugar values, ingredients, allergens and date marking. Compare nutrition per 100 ml as well as per can, since a different can size changes the amount in a single serving.
A light or slimline name does not show that a mixer fits a long-run carbohydrate plan. It may be a choice for a separate drinking occasion; for fuelling, compare the exact product’s carbohydrate declaration with the amount and timing you plan to practise.