My mum always used to tell me things always taste better when you make them yourself!
So how about we find out how to make our own sports drink! Not only could it taste better, but it can be healthier too!
Making a healthy and tasty homemade sports drink will not only save you some money, but it's also likely to be a healthier option to the sports drinks you'll find in your local shop, AND could keep you more energized during your workout...
In this post I'll cover 3 things:
why we need sports drinks
what goes into a sports drink
how you can make your own super simple homemade sports drink
Let's dive in!
Why Do We Need Sports Drinks During Exercise?
When we exercise, we sweat. And when we sweat we lose these things called electrolytes.
Electrolytes are minerals that are vital to our bodies, and we need the right amount of them our bodies for optimal health and physical performance.
The main 3 electrolytes are:
sodium
potassium
magnesium
Losing a significant amount of these electrolytes through intense exercise without replenishing them sufficiently can lead to dehydration, muscle cramping and the dreaded "bonk" or "hitting the wall".
None of which are gonna help you set a PB!
Workout Length
If you're doing a workout which is less than an hour, then drinking water should be enough to keep you going.
But for workouts or races that are longer than an hour, or if it's super hot and humid outside, then you're probably going to need to take in some of the extra calories and electrolytes that "sports drinks" can provide.
Sport Drinks & Energy Gels
One SUPER IMPORTANT thing to note.
NEVER consume sport drinks along with energy gel as you'll be taking in too many carbs and sugars at one time which can lead to stomach problems. If you are using energy gels, take them with water to aid and speed up digestion.
Now we've covered the WHY, let's move on to the WHAT...
The Main Ingredients in Sports Drinks
Your typical sports drink will consist of 3 things:
water
carbohydrates
electrolytes
Water
We need something to hydrate us, and simple water will do the trick. Coconut water is also an excellent option. It's low-calorie and is a good source of electrolytes.
Carbohydrates
The carbs in sports drinks come from glucose, sucrose and fructose, and are used to give our bodies fuel and energy during exercise.
Sport Dietitians Australia says that, "Ideally the carbohydrate concentration of a sports drink should not exceed 8%, or even be slightly less."
According to SportMedBC, if the carbohydrate concentration is 11%-15% then it's too high for optimal gastric emptying and intestinal absorption.
For a typical 330ml drink you should be looking for around 20g of carbohydrates - Sport Dietitians Australia
Electrolytes
Sports drink should at the very least contain the three main electrolytes: sodium, potassium and magnesium.
Sweat consists mainly of water and sodium, so the main electrolyte to keep in mind with exercise is sodium.
The average person’s sweat contains only 150mg of potassium per liter, for example, while sodium can account for up to 2,000mg per liter.
The Gatorade Sports Science Institute recommends at least 100mg of sodium per 250ml (or 8oz)
To put that into context, 1 teaspoon of salt contains 2,325.5 mg of sodium!
Along with coconut water, fruit juices such as apple juice, orange juice and watermelon contain electrolytes. However, some fruit juices are low in sodium so adding a pinch of salt to your drink can make up for that.
For a 250ml drink, WebMD recommends:
14 grams of carbohydrates
28 mg of potassium
100 mg of sodium
Awesome! So now we know WHY we need sports drinks, and WHAT goes into them.
Time for some recipes!!
Homemade Sports Drink Recipes
It's easy to make your own sports drink, from the very basic to some 5-star concoctions!
Four-Time Ironman World Champ's Homemade Sports Drink
Even the pros understand the benefits of making their own sports drinks.
Chrissie Wellington, the four-time Ironman World Champion, shares her sport drink recipe in her book, To the Finish Line: A World Champion Triathlete’s Guide To Your Perfect Race",
The ingredients are so simple!
250ml unsweeted apple juice
250ml water
pinch of salt
The water provides the basic hydration, the apple juice gives us the required carbs and a PINCH of salt sorts out the sodium!
Lemon-Pomegranate Electrolyte Drink Recipe
Here's am exotic homemade sports drink recipe from Healthline, which will make around 1 litre.
Ingredients:
60ml pomegranate juice
350ml coconut water
60ml lime/lemon juice
500ml cold water
pinch of salt
We've got coconut water which provides both hydration and electrolytes, the pomegranate juice is a good source of carbohydrates (plus many other health benefits), lemons are an excellent source of electrolytes and will give the drink some extra OOOMPH, and again the pinch of salt replaces lost sodium,
NBA Champs Golden State Warriors "Greaterade"
The most successful NBA team of the last decade, the Golden State Warriors, stopped using sports drinks back in 2016 and instead developed their own sports drink, known as Greaterade!
This recipe will make around 9 cups, or just over 2 litres - you can store any extra in the fridge for next time!
1900ml / 8 cups cups fresh cold water
3 tablespoons honey, or other sweetener to taste
1/2 teaspoon fine *Himalayan pink salt" or sea salt
3/4 teaspoon calcium magnesium powder, such as NOW Foods Cal-Mag Citrate
pinch cayenne
200ml freshly squeezed orange juice
2 lemons, juiced
2 limes, juiced
A few more ingredients are needed for this one!
Full nutritional value from 1 cup (250ml) of this homemade sports drink:
Protein: 0.6g = 1 % of daily RDA
Carbohydrates: 12.1g = 4 %
Dietary Fiber: 1.6g = 6 %
Sugars: 7.7g
Fat: 0.1g
Vitamin A Iu: 65.2IU = 1 %
Niacin Equivalents: 0.2mg = 2 %
Vitamin C: 33.2mg = 55 %
Folate: 9.2mcg = 2 %
Calcium: 28.6mg = 3 %
Iron: 1.5mg = 8 %
Magnesium: 9.9mg = 4 %
Potassium: 98.3mg = 3 %
Sodium: 105.7mg = 4 %
Calories From Fat: 1.3
How Much Sport Drink Should I Consume?
One final thing for us to consider is HOW MUCH we should be drinking. After all, these recipes do contain a lot of liquid and carbs, and it is possible to drink too much.
Regulating how much you drink can prevent you from making an unwanted pit stop halfway through your bike or run!
The exact amount that you should drink depends on things like weather conditions, how much you sweat, bodyweight.
WebMD suggests during the activity, try to drink between 120-180ml every 15-20 minutes to keep your muscles well-hydrated. For workouts of an hour aim to drink at least 500ml. In hotter conditions you may want to increase the amount.
The Bottom Line
To recap, here's a few key points to remember about homemade sport drinks:
We need sports drinks to replenish lost electrolytes and to give us energy
Sport drink main ingredients are water, carbohydrates and electrolytes
For 250ml drink aim for 14 grams of carbs, 28 mg of potassium and 100 mg of sodium
Even Ironman world champions and NBA teams make their own sport drinks
During exercise, drink 120-180ml every 15 to 20 minutes, and around 500ml per hour
Hope you enjoyed reading this and got some new knowledge!
Leave us a comment if you try any of these and if you have your own sport drink recipe!
