Gym-goers who prefer fizz
If you like fruit flavour after a routine workout, you can mix squash with sparkling water. The NHS identifies water as the preferred way to replace fluid lost through physical activity; fizz is a matter of preference.
Who is this choice for?
People comparing sugars in drinks
No-added-sugar concentrates, sweetened cordials and ready-to-drink fruit beverages can have different sugar values. Compare the nutrition information for the drink you will consume, including its stated dilution where applicable.
People planning food after demanding training
A fizzy drink can accompany a snack or meal, but it should not stand in for refuelling when quick recovery is needed. The British Dietetic Association advises starting with carbohydrate-rich foods and fluids in that situation.
What should you check before choosing?
Choose the drink format that suits how you will use it, then compare the prepared drink rather than the concentrate alone. Keep the food you need after training as a separate decision.
Squash with sparkling water
Choose it when: You want to adjust flavour strength and fizz by mixing a concentrate.
Bear in mind: You need sparkling water and must follow the concentrate’s dilution instructions.
Ready-to-drink fizz
Choose it when: You want a fizzy drink without measuring or mixing.
Bear in mind: You cannot adjust its dilution, and a no-added-sugar label does not necessarily mean zero sugars.
Sweetened cordial
Choose it when: You prefer a conventional sugar-sweetened formulation and are comfortable with its prepared-drink sugar value.
Bear in mind: Dilution changes the amount of sugar in each glass, so measure it as directed rather than pouring freely.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fluid and flavour | Decide whether you want still or sparkling water. If using squash, follow its dilution ratio rather than drinking the concentrate. | I want a drink I will enjoy after exercise. The NHS advises extra fluids after sweating and identifies water as the preferred way to replace lost fluid. |
| Sugars as prepared | Read sugars per serving or per 100ml of the diluted drink; check the stated mixing ratio. For a ready-to-drink product, use its own nutrition panel. | If I want to limit sugars in my drink, I need to compare what ends up in the glass. No added sugar does not mean a fruit-based drink contains no sugars. |
| Food after training | Consider how demanding the session was and whether another follows soon. Plan food separately when quick refuelling is needed. | After hard or closely repeated exercise, I need more than fizzy flavour. The British Dietetic Association recommends starting refuelling with carbohydrate-rich foods and fluids when quick recovery is required. |
| Frequent fizz | Consider how often you drink carbonated beverages, including sugar-free ones. Check sugars separately from carbonation. | I may choose fizz after the gym, but I do not want to assume a sugar-free drink is tooth-neutral: the NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion because of their acid content. |
| Ingredients and storage | Check the current pack for sweeteners, allergens, dilution and instructions after opening. | Ingredients matter if I avoid a particular sweetener or allergen; a concentrate’s storage instructions also matter when choosing a bottle size. |
Common mistakes to avoid
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Reading “no added sugar” as “sugar-free”
Fruit ingredients can contribute sugars, while concentrate and prepared-drink panels describe different amounts of liquid.
Compare sugars for the drink as consumed. For concentrates, check the label’s dilution ratio before comparing servings.
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Treating sweet cordial as a recovery snack
A drink may provide fluid and, if sweetened, sugar; that does not make it a substitute for food when quick refuelling is needed.
After hard or closely repeated training, pair your drink with food. The British Dietetic Association recommends carbohydrate-rich foods and fluids when quick recovery is required.
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Assuming sugar-free fizz is tooth-neutral
The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion due to acid content, whether or not they contain sugar or sweeteners.
Consider how often you sip fizzy drinks, and choose plain water when you want a non-carbonated drink.
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Overlooking ingredients and instructions after opening
Concentrates differ in their sweeteners, allergens and storage directions. Those details can affect whether a particular bottle suits you.
Read the current pack before buying and choose a size you can use within its stated period after opening.
A larger bottle can go unused if you cannot finish it within that period.
Brand and product-line references
Robinsons
Orange No Added Sugar Squash is a concentrate to dilute with water; sparkling water is an option if you want fizz.
- Tesco Groceries lists 0g sugars and 3kcal per 250ml diluted serving, using one part concentrate to four parts water.
- Check the current ingredients if you avoid its listed sweeteners or sulphites. It is a drink, not a recovery snack.
Belvoir Farm
Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar Cordial can be mixed with still or sparkling water, according to Waitrose & Partners; Elderflower Pressé is a separate ready-to-drink sparkling option.
- The Lemon & Lime cordial’s stated nutrition is 0.4g sugars per 100ml when diluted 1:6.
- The cordial contains steviol glycosides. Check each product’s own label rather than applying the cordial’s sugar value to the pressé.
Rocks
Blackcurrant Squash is a sugar-sweetened concentrate for mixing with still or sparkling water.
- Sainsbury's gives a dilution of one part squash to eight parts water; the product information lists no artificial sweeteners.
- Its stated diluted-drink value is 4.4g sugars per 100ml, so compare that value if limiting sugars is a priority.
M&S Food
M&S Food describes squash that can be paired with sparkling water and separately offers Rhubarb with Sparkling Spring Water as a ready-to-drink option.
- The rhubarb drink needs no mixing and is described by M&S as having no added sugar.
- Its stated nutrition lists 6.7g sugars per 100g. Check the ready-to-drink label rather than treating “no added sugar” as “sugar-free”.
Ready-to-drink options on Joybuy
These are flavoured ready-to-drink options for someone considering fizz after the gym, rather than squash concentrates you can dilute. Choose a drink alongside food when your training calls for a post-exercise snack or meal.
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7 Up Lemonade Zero, 24 × 330ml
A lemonade option in a 24-pack for a drink without mixing. Check the current nutrition and ingredient label if sugars or sweeteners affect your choice; it does not replace a post-training snack.
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Tango Sugar Free Apple, 8 × 330ml
An eight-can apple-flavoured option when you do not want to mix squash. Check the pack’s ingredients and nutrition panel; a ready-to-drink can does not take the place of food after demanding training.
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Tango Cherry Sugar Free, 8 × 330ml
A cherry-flavoured eight-can option for a drink without measuring concentrate. Read the current label for ingredients and sugars, and plan food separately if quick refuelling is needed.
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Tango Apple Sugar-Free, 24 × 330ml
Choose this 24-can apple variant rather than the eight-can variant if that pack quantity suits you. It is a ready-to-drink option, not a squash concentrate with adjustable dilution.
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Woongjin Nature's Marlin Peach Zero PET 500ml
A 500ml peach-flavoured bottle to consider if you want a drink without mixing squash. Check the current pack for carbonation, sugars and ingredients before choosing it for your post-gym drink.
Frequently asked questions
Can sparkling squash replace water after the gym?
It can be a flavoured way to drink fluid, but the NHS identifies water as the preferred way to replace fluid lost through physical activity. Choose sparkling squash for taste, and dilute a concentrate according to its label.
Can it replace a post-workout snack?
No: squash is a drink, not a substitute for food when quick refuelling is needed. The British Dietetic Association recommends starting with carbohydrate-rich foods and fluids after exercise if quick recovery is required.
Does “no added sugar” mean a fizzy drink contains no sugar?
No. Check sugars on the nutrition panel for the drink as prepared. Belvoir Farm Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar Cordial lists 0.4g sugars per 100ml diluted 1:6, while M&S Rhubarb with Sparkling Spring Water lists 6.7g per 100g despite having no added sugar.
Are sugar-free fizzy drinks tooth-neutral?
No. The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion because of acid content, whether they contain sugar, lower-calorie sweeteners or no-calorie sweeteners.
What should I check on a cordial bottle before buying?
Check the dilution ratio, sugars for the prepared drink, ingredients, allergens and storage instructions after opening. These details vary by product; use the current pack label when a particular ingredient matters to you.