Gym-goers who mainly want a flavoured drink
A no-added-sugar cordial diluted with sparkling water offers flavour without treating the drink as a snack. Check the prepared-drink nutrition panel and choose still water instead if you do not want fizz.
Who is each drink choice for?
The useful distinction is whether you want a flavoured drink, need to plan food before training, or find carbonation uncomfortable.
People planning harder or longer sessions
Choose food and fluid as separate decisions rather than relying on squash for both. The British Dietetic Association advises a low-fat, high-carbohydrate snack or light meal two to three hours before exercise as part of a regular eating pattern.
People who feel bloated after fizzy drinks
Still water or cordial diluted with still water keeps carbonation out of the choice. The NHS identifies fizzy drinks as a possible contributor to gas and bloating.
What should you check before buying?
Decide whether the drink is for flavour and fluid or whether the planned session also calls for food. Then compare drinks as prepared, not as concentrates in the bottle.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and sugars | Check whether the cordial has no added sugar and read sugars per prepared serving. The NHS suggests water or sugar-free, diet or no-added-sugar drinks in place of sugary squash and fizzy drinks. | I want a flavoured drink without choosing a sugar-containing cordial by accident. |
| Pre-workout food | Check what the prepared drink contributes, then plan food separately if the session calls for carbohydrate. The British Dietetic Association advises a low-fat, high-carbohydrate snack or light meal two to three hours before exercise. | For a harder or longer session, I need to decide what to eat as well as what to drink. |
| Carbonation | Check whether a cordial can be mixed with still water. Fizzy drinks can contribute to gas and bloating, according to the NHS. | If fizz makes me uncomfortable, I would rather have the same cordial diluted with still water. |
| Dilution | Follow the stated mixing ratio and compare nutrition for the same prepared volume. Ocado lists Belvoir Farm No Added Sugar Sicilian Lemon & Lime Cordial at a 1:6 dilution; Waitrose & Partners suggests one part Waitrose No.1 Raspberry & Pomegranate Cordial to four parts water. | I want to know what is in the glass I will drink, rather than compare two undiluted concentrates. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredient and allergen declarations, particularly if you avoid particular sweeteners or need to check for sulphites. Check storage instructions when choosing a bottle for occasional use. | Before choosing a flavour, I need to know whether its ingredients suit me and how to store it after opening. |
| Mixing or carrying | Choose cordial if you want to set the dilution and use still or sparkling water. Choose a ready-to-drink fizzy drink if avoiding preparation matters more; it is not squash. | On some days I can mix a cordial; on others I need a drink that is ready to take with me. |
Common buying mistakes
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Treating a no-added-sugar drink as a snack
A flavoured drink with little carbohydrate does not take the place of food when you need to plan pre-exercise fuelling.
Decide on food and fluid separately. The British Dietetic Association advises a low-fat, high-carbohydrate snack or light meal two to three hours before exercise.
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Ignoring how fizz feels during exercise
The NHS identifies fizzy drinks as a possible cause of gas and bloating, which may make a sparkling choice uncomfortable before activity.
If that happens to you, dilute cordial with still water or choose still water on its own. Try a sparkling option away from a session where discomfort would particularly matter.
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Comparing concentrate with a finished drink
Different dilution instructions change what a prepared glass contains. Nutrition for undiluted cordial is not directly comparable with nutrition for a ready-to-drink can.
Use each product’s stated mixing ratio, then compare sugars and other nutrition values for equal prepared volumes.
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Assuming no added sugar tells you every ingredient
A no-added-sugar description does not identify the sweeteners or settle whether a product contains an ingredient you need to avoid.
Read the current ingredient and allergen declarations before buying or drinking, including any sulphite declaration relevant to you.
Brand and product-line references
These examples show how a cordial and a ready-to-drink fizzy drink can differ. Check the particular product rather than applying its label to a whole brand.
Robinsons
Robinsons Fruit Cordials Lime & Mint can be served with sparkling or still water, according to its Ocado listing.
- The diluted drink is listed at 4.1g sugars per 100ml, making its prepared-drink value available for comparison.
- It is a sugar-containing cordial, not a no-added-sugar choice. Check the current ingredient and allergen declarations if sweeteners or sulphites matter to you.
M&S
M&S describes its cordials as suitable for dilution with still or sparkling water. Its separate Diet Lemon and Lime Drink is a ready-to-drink carbonated option, not squash.
- M&S lists the Diet Lemon and Lime Drink as having no added sugar, with 1kcal and less than 0.1g sugars per 100g.
- The ready-to-drink option does not provide the choice of still or sparkling preparation that a cordial does.
Waitrose No.1
Waitrose & Partners suggests mixing its No.1 Raspberry & Pomegranate Cordial with sparkling or still mineral water.
- The suggested mixture uses one part cordial to four parts water, giving shoppers a stated ratio for preparing a glass.
- Waitrose & Partners lists 11.4g sugars per prepared 250ml serving; account for that when comparing it with a no-added-sugar drink.
Ready-to-drink options on Joybuy
These are carbonated soft drinks for shoppers considering a ready-to-drink alternative before exercise. They are not squash or cordial, and choosing one does not replace a separate food decision when you need pre-workout carbohydrate.
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7 Up Lemonade Zero, 24 × 330ml
A ready-to-drink fizzy option when you want a drink rather than a pre-workout snack.
The product information uses differing lemonade flavour descriptions; check the current pack for the exact variant and ingredients. Choose a still drink instead if carbonation tends to make you uncomfortable.
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Sprite, 8 × 330ml
A ready-to-drink fizzy lemon-and-lime option if you prefer a can to mixing cordial.
It contains sugars, so compare the current can’s nutrition panel with your other drink choices. Do not treat a can alone as a planned pre-workout snack.
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SINGHA Original Lemon Soda Zero Sugar, 6 × 330ml
A ready-to-drink fizzy lemon soda for someone choosing a zero-sugar drink rather than a carbohydrate snack.
Check the current pack’s ingredients if you avoid particular sweeteners, and use its nutrition panel when comparing energy values with another drink.
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Tango Apple Sugar-Free, 24 × 330ml
An apple-flavoured fizzy drink for someone who wants a ready-to-drink alternative to citrus cordial.
Sugar-free does not make it a pre-workout snack. Check the current ingredients if sweeteners matter to you, and consider a still option if fizz causes discomfort.
Questions about squash before exercise
Can sparkling squash replace a pre-workout snack?
No-added-sugar sparkling squash is a drink, not a substitute for food when you need to plan carbohydrate before exercise. The British Dietetic Association advises a low-fat, high-carbohydrate snack or light meal two to three hours before exercise as part of a regular eating pattern.
Is sparkling squash an option before a short gym session?
It can be a flavoured drink if you tolerate carbonation and are not relying on it as a snack. If you prefer a no-added-sugar cordial, check its prepared-drink nutrition and follow its dilution instructions.
What if fizz makes me feel bloated before exercise?
Choose still water or a cordial that can be diluted with still water if fizzy drinks tend to cause discomfort. The NHS identifies fizzy drinks as a possible contributor to gas and bloating.
How can I compare sugars in two cordials?
Compare equal volumes of the prepared drinks using each product’s stated dilution ratio. Ocado lists Belvoir Farm No Added Sugar Sicilian Lemon & Lime Cordial at 1.1g sugars per prepared 250ml serving, while Waitrose & Partners lists 11.4g per prepared 250ml serving of Waitrose No.1 Raspberry & Pomegranate Cordial.
What should I check besides the sugar figure?
Read the current ingredient and allergen declarations if you need to avoid a sweetener or check for sulphites. Follow the product’s dilution and storage instructions, which also affect how practical a bottle is for occasional use.