Is Lucozade Sport Healthier Than Coke?

December 22, 2025 •

3 min read

According to a 2016 study cited by Public Health Liverpool, a 500ml bottle of Lucozade contained more sugar than the same serving size of Coca-Cola at the time. This surprising statistic challenges the common perception that sports drinks are a healthier choice than regular soda, prompting a closer look into whether Lucozade Sport is healthier than Coke.

Quick Summary

A nutritional comparison of Lucozade Sport and Coke reveals that neither is a healthy choice for regular consumption. While sports drinks provide electrolytes for specific athletic needs, both are high in sugar and calories, contributing to weight gain and dental erosion. Water is the superior option for general hydration.

Key Points

For Most People, Neither Is a Healthy Choice: For the average person, both Lucozade Sport and Coke are high in sugar and calories, with minimal to no nutritional benefits.
Sports Drinks Are Not Health Foods: Lucozade Sport is designed for specific athletic purposes, not as a general hydration or 'healthy' beverage for daily consumption.
Sugar Content Remains a Concern: Despite reformulations, both drinks contain high levels of sugar that can contribute to weight gain and metabolic health issues.
Dental Health Risks Are High: The acidity and sugar in both Lucozade Sport and Coke pose a significant and often underestimated risk to dental health, causing enamel erosion.
Context Is Everything: The usefulness of Lucozade Sport is limited to intense, prolonged exercise. Outside of this context, its benefits are non-existent and its health risks are very real.
Water Is the Best Alternative: For everyday hydration and most exercise, plain water is the superior and healthiest option.

The Core Comparison: Nutrition and Purpose

Comparing Lucozade Sport and Coke is a valuable exercise, but it requires understanding their different purposes and target audiences. Coke is a carbonated soft drink designed purely for pleasure, offering a high-sugar energy spike with no functional benefits. Lucozade Sport, on the other hand, is an isotonic beverage, specifically formulated to help athletes rehydrate and refuel during prolonged, high-intensity exercise by replacing lost electrolytes and carbohydrates. The crucial distinction, however, is not which is inherently 'better,' but when each is appropriate to consume, if at all.

Sugar Content: A Sweet Showdown

Historically, the battle over sugar content has been closely fought and is subject to reformulation. While some past studies showed Lucozade containing more sugar than Coke per 500ml, recent reformulations of Lucozade Sport have aimed to reduce sugar to comply with new sugar taxes and health concerns. Despite this, even with less sugar, sports drinks are still not a health food. For comparison, a 500ml bottle of classic Coca-Cola contains approximately 54g of sugar, whereas a 750ml bottle of Lucozade Sport Orange may contain around 27g of sugar. This still exceeds the World Health Organization's daily recommendation for added sugar intake for most individuals. Both drinks deliver a significant and unnecessary dose of liquid sugar for non-athletes.

Hidden Health Risks: Beyond the Sugar

Both beverages pose significant health risks when consumed regularly, extending beyond simple calorie and sugar counts. Both are highly acidic, which can severely damage tooth enamel, and some research suggests sports drinks might be even more corrosive than soda over time. The phosphoric acid in Coke and citric acid in Lucozade Sport contribute to this dental erosion. The excessive and unnecessary intake of sugar from either can contribute to weight gain, increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and gout. For the average person not engaged in intensive, prolonged exercise, the high sugar and empty calories in both drinks can lead to serious health problems.

The Importance of Context: Athlete vs. Average Person

For the vast majority of the population, the benefits of sports drinks are negligible, and water is the far healthier choice for hydration. Sports drinks like Lucozade Sport were developed for specific scenarios: intense, prolonged exercise lasting 90 minutes or more, where quick replacement of electrolytes and carbohydrates is needed. For a typical workout or mild activity, plain water is the best and only necessary form of rehydration. Drinking a sports drink when not exercising intensely simply adds unnecessary sugar and calories to your diet, undermining any health goals you might have.

Comparison Table: Lucozade Sport vs. Coca-Cola (Classic)


Feature	Lucozade Sport	Coca-Cola
Primary Purpose	Fueling and rehydration for intense, prolonged exercise	General soft drink for taste and pleasure
Sugar per 500ml	Approx. 18g (post-2017 reformulation)	Approx. 54g
Electrolytes	Contains sodium and other electrolytes to replace those lost during exercise	Contains negligible electrolytes; primary function is taste
Best Use Case	Elite athletes during long endurance sports or intense exercise (90+ mins)	Occasional treat, enjoyed in moderation
Primary Health Risk	High sugar, acidity, potential for weight gain if over-consumed	High sugar, high calories, acidity, associated with obesity and metabolic diseases
Recommended for Non-Athletes?	No, unnecessary sugar and calories	No, empty calories and health risks

Conclusion: A Clear Verdict

When asking if Is Lucozade Sport healthier than Coke?, the answer is nuanced but ultimately clear for the average person. While Lucozade Sport is engineered to support intense athletic performance with electrolytes and carbohydrates, both drinks are fundamentally high-sugar, acidic beverages that offer little to no nutritional value for general consumption. For anyone not engaged in high-intensity, prolonged exercise, neither is a healthy daily choice, and the health risks, including weight gain, dental erosion, and metabolic issues, are significant. In almost all scenarios, plain water remains the optimal choice for hydration. If you are an elite athlete, the functional benefits of an isotonic drink may apply, but for everyone else, relegating both Lucozade Sport and Coke to a rare treat is the wisest decision for your health.

Authoritative Resource

To learn more about the nutritional science behind sports drinks and general hydration, consult resources from trusted health authorities like the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source: Sports Drinks.

Frequently Asked Questions

For a typical workout, neither is the best choice. Plain water is sufficient for rehydration during most exercise routines. Lucozade Sport is only necessary for high-intensity, prolonged exercise, while Coke offers no performance benefits and is loaded with sugar.

This can depend on the specific product and formulation. Some older versions of Lucozade (pre-2017) did contain more sugar than Coke, but Lucozade Sport has since been reformulated to reduce sugar content. Nonetheless, both contain high levels of sugar unnecessary for non-athletes.

For general rehydration or short exercise, water is best. Lucozade Sport is specifically formulated for intense, prolonged endurance exercise (typically over 90 minutes) to replace carbohydrates and electrolytes lost through heavy sweating, but it's not needed for regular hydration.

Regular consumption of Coke and other sugary soft drinks is linked to significant health risks, including weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dental decay, and metabolic syndrome.

Yes, regular consumption of sports drinks, especially without engaging in prolonged strenuous exercise, can lead to weight gain, increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, and severe dental erosion due to their high sugar and acid content.

Both drinks are highly acidic and contain sugar that fuels bacteria causing tooth decay. Some dental studies suggest that the acidity in sports drinks can cause more aggressive enamel erosion than soda.

For a health-conscious energy boost, water is the best option. Alternatives like a piece of fruit (such as a banana, which provides natural carbohydrates and potassium) can offer a more balanced energy source without the negative health effects of processed sugar drinks.