A measured fruit smoothie can contribute carbohydrate to a snack or meal during marathon training, but it should not replace a personalised, practised race-fuelling and hydration plan. Before a key run, check the carbohydrate and fibre in the portion you intend to drink and choose a familiar product that fits your routine. The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day.
If you are considering a smoothie before, after or between runs, its portion and timing need to fit a practised carbohydrate and fluid plan. World Athletics’ distance-running nutrition research also highlights the need to balance fuelling against gut discomfort.
A chilled bottle can be easy to carry during a busy training week, but check how many servings it contains. One 750ml Innocent smoothie listed by Tesco contains five 150ml servings.
If a claim such as “no added sugar” or “high fibre” catches your eye, read the sugars, carbohydrate, fibre and ingredients for the exact drink. Those claims answer different questions about what is in the bottle.
Start with the portion you would actually drink, then compare its nutrition and ingredients with when you plan to have it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate and timing | Check carbohydrate per stated serving and the number of servings in the bottle. If choosing a post-run snack, check protein too. | I want to know what my planned portion contributes to a snack or meal, without treating the drink as my whole race-fuelling plan. |
| Pre-run comfort | Read fibre per serving and look for added ingredients such as chicory-root fibre or seeds. Consider the portion and timing you have practised in training. | Before a key run, I would rather stick with a familiar option than try a new blend. The UK Sports Institute advises lower-fibre choices when trying to minimise gastrointestinal distress before training. |
| Sugar claims | Compare sugars and carbohydrate in the portion, as well as the ingredients. “No added sugar” does not mean the drink contains no naturally occurring sugars. | A front-of-pack claim is not enough for me; I want to know how much sugar is in the amount I will drink. |
| Portion size | Compare bottle volume with its stated serving size and follow the product’s storage instructions after opening. The NHS advises a combined daily limit of 150ml for fruit juice and smoothies. | If I buy a larger bottle, I want to measure a portion rather than assume the whole bottle is one serving. |
Fruit sugars can still be present. Tesco lists 15g sugars per 150ml serving for Innocent Mangoes, Passion Fruits & Apples, despite its no-added-sugar wording.
Read sugars and carbohydrate for your intended portion rather than relying on the claim on the front.
The 750ml Innocent bottle listed by Tesco contains five 150ml servings. Drinking it all changes the amount consumed and exceeds the NHS’s combined 150ml daily guidance for juice and smoothies.
Check the serving count, pour the portion you intend to have and store the remainder according to its label.
Fibre content and unfamiliar ingredients can matter when you are trying to avoid gut discomfort. The UK Sports Institute advises lower-fibre foods before training for that purpose.
Try the exact drink, portion and timing during ordinary training before considering it for a key session.
Added vitamins do not tell you how much carbohydrate, fluid or protein a drink contributes to your plan. Product formulations also differ.
Compare the nutrition panel, serving size and ingredients before deciding whether the drink belongs with a meal, as a snack or outside your pre-run window.
These examples show why the label of the individual drink matters more than the name of its brand or retailer.
Its listed range includes standard fruit smoothies and blends with added vitamins or botanicals.
Its listed drinks include Green Machine and the added-fibre Fibre Machine.
Its smoothie listings include own-label fruit blends alongside branded drinks.
Its range includes fruit smoothies and selected blends described as containing yoghurt, dates or oats.
Its drinks listings distinguish smoothies from other juices and include a reduced-sugar juice-and-smoothie category.
This coconut milk and papaya smoothie is a packaged option to assess as a snack during training; its label and your intended portion matter when deciding when to drink it.
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For a packaged snack outside the immediate pre-run window, compare your intended portion with the label: the description lists 9g carbohydrate, 7g sugars and 6g fat per 100g, and names cane sugar as an ingredient. The pack is 180ml, while nutrition is stated per 100g, so do not treat those figures as amounts for the full pack. Check the fibre value on the product label if it matters to your pre-run choice; the UK Sports Institute advises lower-fat, lower-fibre foods when trying to minimise gastrointestinal distress before training.
No. A fruit smoothie can contain naturally occurring sugars without added sugar. For example, Tesco lists 15g sugars per 150ml serving of Innocent Mangoes, Passion Fruits & Apples, which is labelled as having no added sugar. Check the sugars line for the portion you plan to drink.
The NHS says fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies count only once towards 5 A Day and advises limiting them to a combined 150ml a day. Check the serving size when buying a larger bottle.
Do not assume it will suit your pre-run routine. The UK Sports Institute advises lower-fibre foods before training when the aim is to minimise gastrointestinal distress. Check the drink’s fibre and ingredients, and try its portion and timing during training rather than for the first time before a key run.
A smoothie can contribute carbohydrate, but it is not a substitute for a personalised, practised plan. World Athletics’ distance-running nutrition research describes balancing carbohydrate and fluid intake against the risk of gut discomfort; the drink’s portion, composition and timing all matter.
Follow the instructions on the bottle you buy. For example, M&S says to refrigerate its Mango, Pineapple and Passion Fruit Smoothie at 0°C to +5°C and drink it within four days of opening; other products may have different instructions.