People preparing for longer endurance exercise
If you want some carbohydrate before a longer run or ride, the drink’s carbohydrate content and serving size matter. Juice need not become a large-volume training drink.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Gym-goers comparing juice with zero-sugar drinks
If you want an orange-flavoured drink before a session, check whether you are choosing 100% juice or a sweetened soft drink. The labels describe different types of product.
People accounting for sugars and carbohydrate
If you track the carbohydrate in drinks, check the nutrition panel for the amount you intend to pour. “No added sugar” on juice does not mean that the drink contains no sugars.
What should you check before choosing?
Decide whether the drink is meant to contribute carbohydrate or simply provide orange flavour, then compare the label using the amount you would actually drink.
100% orange juice
Consider it when: You want a measured carbohydrate contribution alongside food before longer endurance exercise.
Keep in mind: No added sugar does not mean sugar-free, and NHS advice limits fruit juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day, with a meal.
Zero-sugar orange soft drink
Consider it when: You want orange flavour without choosing juice as a carbohydrate source.
Keep in mind: Orange-flavoured soft drinks with sweeteners are not interchangeable with 100% juice when carbohydrate is the reason for your choice.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate | Read carbohydrate per 100ml and for the serving you plan to drink. Check whether the product is 100% juice or an orange-flavoured soft drink. | I want the drink to contribute carbohydrate before a longer endurance session, rather than choosing it for flavour alone. |
| Sugars and labelling | Compare the sugars figure with the ingredients and product description. “No added sugar” does not mean “zero sugar”. | Orange flavour is my main aim, so I would rather compare zero-sugar soft drinks than assume a no-added-sugar juice has no sugars. |
| Juice portion | Measure the amount poured. The NHS advises no more than 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies combined per day, taken with a meal. | If I choose juice, I want to account for that serving within the day’s drinks and food, not drink straight from a large bottle. |
Common mistakes to avoid
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Reading “no added sugar” as “sugar-free”
Tropicana describes Smooth Orange as 100% pressed fruit juice with no added sugar. Tesco describes Orange Zero as a carbonated orange-flavoured soft drink with sweeteners. The two labels do not identify the same type of drink.
Check the product description and compare carbohydrate and sugars for the serving you intend to have.
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Treating a large bottle of juice as one serving
The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day and drinking them with a meal.
Measure a juice portion rather than using the bottle size as your guide; choose another drink if you want more to drink.
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Assuming every workout calls for carbohydrate from juice
A 2020 review in Nutrients reports improved performance after pre-exercise carbohydrate for longer, but not shorter, endurance exercise. That finding does not make juice necessary before a brief gym session.
Consider the planned session and what you have already eaten before deciding whether you want carbohydrate from your drink.
Relevant brand references
These product examples illustrate the difference between juice and orange-flavoured soft drinks; a brand name alone does not tell you the carbohydrate content of a particular drink.
Tropicana
Tropicana UK describes Smooth Orange as 100% pressed fruit juice with no added sugar.
- The product description identifies it as juice rather than an orange-flavoured soft drink.
- No added sugar does not mean that a serving contains no sugars; check its nutrition panel.
M&S
M&S lists a Freshly Squeezed Smooth Orange Juice for shoppers considering a supermarket juice.
- Its product information gives carbohydrate and sugars figures that can be used to assess a planned serving.
- Check the amount you intend to pour against the NHS daily guidance for fruit juice and smoothies.
Tesco
Tesco describes Orange Zero as a no-added-sugar, carbonated orange-flavoured soft drink with sweeteners.
- The product description makes its soft-drink category clear.
- Do not choose it expecting the carbohydrate contribution of 100% orange juice.
ASDA
ASDA lists Club Zero Orange as a carbonated, sugar-free orange soft drink with sweeteners.
- It provides an orange-flavoured soft-drink example for a sugar-free comparison.
- Its product category is not 100% orange juice; check the label if carbohydrate is part of your pre-exercise plan.
Orange-flavoured drink on Joybuy
This orange-and-multi-fruit option is relevant when comparing drink labels before exercise. Check its ingredients and serving nutrition rather than treating orange flavour as proof that it is 100% orange juice.
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LIGHT UP Every Moment Orange & Multi-fruit Drink 1L
For a pre-exercise drink choice, compare the carbohydrate and sugars for the amount you would pour. This 1L product is described as containing multiple fruits, so do not treat its orange wording as confirmation that it is 100% orange juice; check the ingredients on the pack.
Questions about juice before exercise
Does “no added sugar” orange juice contain no sugar?
No. “No added sugar” does not mean sugar-free. Tropicana UK describes Smooth Orange as 100% pressed fruit juice with no added sugar; check the sugars figure on the nutrition panel for the portion you intend to drink.
Can a zero-sugar orange drink replace juice before training?
It can serve the same orange-flavour preference, but not the same purpose if you are choosing juice for carbohydrate. Tesco Orange Zero and Club Zero Orange are described as orange-flavoured soft drinks with sweeteners, so compare their nutrition panels with juice rather than treating them as equivalent products.
How much orange juice should I plan to drink?
The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies together to one small glass of 150ml a day and having it with a meal. Measure the serving if you choose juice alongside a pre-exercise meal or snack.