Let’s get the bad stuff out the way first. Coke is high in calories thanks to its sugar content, and it contains virtually no electrolytes or minerals. It’s acidic and carbonated, both of which can increase the risk of stomach problems during exercise. And worse, US studies have shown that people who drink soft drinks regularly have a lower intake of calcium, magnesium and vitamin A. Yet Coke was popular with athletes in the days before sports drinks, and the love affair continues in cycling, with The Coca-Cola Cycling Team organising charity rides in the US, Wiggle selling Coke-branded bidons and Coca-Cola sponsoring bike hire schemes in Ireland. ‘Even now, you will see riders drinking it on the Tour de France,’ says Mayur Ranchordas, senior lecturer in sport and exercise nutrition and physiology at Sheffield Hallam University. There’s a reason. ‘It does hydrate and it contains glucose and sucrose, so it’s going to help restore both muscle and liver glycogen,’ says performance nutritionist Drew Price.