Marathon trainees avoiding added sugar
A zero-sugar drink may fit your preference for fluid during training. For longer sessions, check its carbohydrate content and decide where any separate fuel will come from.
Who these drinks suit
The useful distinction is whether the drink needs to provide carbohydrate as well as fluid.
Runners doing easy sessions
If you do not need carbohydrate from your drink, a hydration-led option may suit the session. Asda and Tesco describe their Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar listings as designed for low-intensity exercise.
Runners planning long-run fuel
Choose deliberately between a drink that contributes carbohydrate and a low-carbohydrate drink paired with another source. The UK Sports Institute notes that carbohydrate needs increase with exercise duration and intensity.
What to check before buying
Start with the carbohydrate the prepared drink supplies, then check its ingredients, electrolytes and intended use against the session you have planned.
Zero-sugar drink with separate fuel
Consider it when: You want a hydration-led drink and have planned another carbohydrate source for longer runs.
Trade-off: Asda lists just 0.1 g carbohydrate per 100 ml for Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar Orange & Peach, so that drink contributes very little carbohydrate.
Carbohydrate-containing drink
Consider it when: You want the drink itself to contribute carbohydrate alongside fluid; Gatorade UK describes Hydration Booster as containing carbohydrate and electrolytes.
Trade-off: Gatorade UK calls Hydration Booster low sugar, which does not establish that it meets a strict no-added-sugar preference. Check the ingredients and prepared serving.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar and fuel | Compare carbohydrate and sugars per 100 ml and per serving. Read the ingredients if avoiding added sugar is essential; “low sugar” and “no added sugar” are different claims. | I want to avoid added sugar, but I also need to know whether my long-run carbohydrate will come from the drink or something else. |
| Electrolytes and serving | Check the declared sodium or other electrolytes. For a powder, follow its preparation directions and compare nutrients for the amount you will actually drink. | A drink with declared electrolytes matters to me, and I want to compare the serving I will use rather than the pack front alone. |
| Type of session | Check the product’s stated exercise use and carbohydrate content. The UK Sports Institute says longer and harder exercise increases carbohydrate needs. | For an easy run, I may only want a hydration-led drink; for a long or hard session, I need a deliberate fuel plan. |
Common buying mistakes
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Using a zero-sugar drink as the only long-run fuel
Asda lists 0.1 g carbohydrate per 100 ml for Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar Orange & Peach. The UK Sports Institute says carbohydrate needs rise as exercise becomes longer and harder.
Before a long run, decide whether your drink supplies carbohydrate. If it contributes little, plan and practise a separate source that suits you.
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Reading “low sugar” as “no added sugar”
A low-sugar description does not, by itself, answer whether sugar has been added. Gatorade UK describes Hydration Booster as low sugar and as containing carbohydrate.
If avoiding added sugar is a firm requirement, read the ingredients and nutrition panel for the particular flavour and serving.
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Assuming every sports drink is long-run fuel
Asda and Tesco position their Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar listings for low-intensity exercise. A sports-drink label alone does not tell you how much carbohydrate the drink provides.
Match the drink’s stated use and nutrition information to the session, especially when training gets longer or harder.
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Relying on a listing instead of the pack
The particular flavour and serving matter when checking sugars, carbohydrate, sweeteners and electrolytes.
Read the label on the bottle or sachet you intend to use, and practise preparing a powder as directed before relying on it for a key session.
Relevant brand references
These examples illustrate different label and fuelling checks; a brand name alone does not establish the nutrition of every flavour or product line.
Lucozade Sport
Its Zero Sugar listings provide an example of a hydration-led drink positioned for low-intensity exercise.
- Asda lists 0 g sugars and 0.1 g carbohydrate per 100 ml for Zero Sugar Orange & Peach; Tesco describes its Zero Sugar Raspberry & Passion Fruit product as containing added sodium.
- The listed Orange & Peach drink contributes very little carbohydrate, so it should not be the assumed carbohydrate source for a long run.
Gatorade
Gatorade UK describes Hydration Booster as a low-sugar mix containing carbohydrate and electrolytes.
- Its carbohydrate content makes the prepared serving relevant to a drink-based fuelling plan.
- “Low sugar” does not establish “no added sugar”; check the particular product’s ingredients and mixing directions.
Powerade
Powerade describes a Zero Mixed Berry drink with 0 g sugars and carbohydrate on its non-UK product page.
- That information does not establish the formulation or nutrition of a UK pack. Check the label of the specific product before comparing it with UK listings.
Joybuy drink options
This ready-to-drink option fits the hydration-led route: if you use it on a longer or harder run, plan carbohydrate separately.
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Cadence Core Hydration Drink, Melonberry Flavour, 12 × 330 ml
This ready-to-drink option is for a hydration-led choice rather than drink-based carbohydrate fuel. Its listed nutrition gives 0 g sugars and 0 g carbohydrate, and its description identifies electrolyte ingredients; check the current pack if you need a sodium amount for comparison. For a long or hard run, plan a separate carbohydrate source.
Questions about training drinks
Can a zero-sugar sports drink fuel a marathon-training long run?
Not if you are relying on a drink that supplies virtually no carbohydrate for your fuel. Asda lists 0.1 g carbohydrate per 100 ml for Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar Orange & Peach, while the UK Sports Institute says carbohydrate needs rise with exercise duration and intensity. If you choose that drink for fluid, plan carbohydrate from another source.
Does “low sugar” mean “no added sugar”?
No. “Low sugar” does not establish whether sugar has been added. Gatorade UK describes Hydration Booster as low sugar and containing carbohydrate; check its ingredients and nutrition panel if avoiding added sugar is essential to your choice.
What should I read on a sports-drink label?
Check sugars and carbohydrate per serving, the ingredients, declared electrolytes and the intended exercise use. For a powder, also check how to prepare the serving you will drink; use the current pack label when making your choice.
Is a zero-sugar sports drink an option for an easy run?
It can be a hydration-led choice when you do not need the drink to supply carbohydrate. Asda and Tesco describe their Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar listings as designed for low-intensity exercise; still check the particular drink’s label against what you want for that session.