It’s easier than you might think to concoct your own sports drink. The refueling beverages need to provide three things: water, electrolytes (especially sodium) and carbohydrates, said registered dietitian
.
Electrolytes are essential minerals, including sodium and potassium, that regulate heart beat and blood pressure. When we sweat, we lose sodium and chloride (salt) and to a lesser degree, potassium, magnesium and calcium, said Blatner.
Milk has electrolytes, but “chocolate milk is used more as a recovery drink since it has protein and carbohydrates to repair muscle and replenish energy stores,” Blatner said. “A sports drink is more for before and during exercise to replenish energy stores to keep our muscles running.”
Still, the best sports drink for most athletes, with the exception of endurance or distance competitors, is good old fashioned water, said registered dietitian
His mock sports drink consists of a lemon juice, a splash of fruit juice or a 1/2 teaspoon of honey and a dash of salt per one cup of water.
Or, try coconut water, which is said to deliver as much as 12 times the electrolytes of sports drinks. “Buy an unsweetened version like Zico. Jazz it up by adding chilled green tea and mango juice or a drizzle of honey,” suggests
Here are a few other ideas:
Blatner’s homemade Gatorade:
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup orange juice
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt.
Makes four servings. Per 8 ounce serving: 50 calories, 14 grams carbohydrate, 160 milligrams sodium.
Homemade sports drink from “Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook.
” It’s also available on her new app:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup orange juice (
not
concentrate) plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 1/2 cups cold water
1. In the bottom of a pitcher, dissolve the sugar and salt in the hot water.
2. Add the juice and the remaining water; chill.
3. Quench that thirst!
Makes 1 quart. per 8-ounce serving: 50 calories, 12 grams carbohydrate, 110 mg sodium.
Clark encourages creativity when making your own sports drink. “For example, you can dilute many combinations of juices (such as cranberry + lemonade) to 50 calories per 8 ounces and then add a pinch of salt.
(More precisely, 1/4 teaspoon salt per 1 quart of liquid,)
” she wrote.
“Some people use flavorings such as sugar-free lemonade to enhance the flavor yet leave the calories in the 50 to 70 calories per 8-ounce range. The trick is to always test the recipe during training, not during an important event. You want to be sure it tastes good when you are hot and sweaty and settles well when you’re working hard.”
Electrolyte Replacement Drink from Yoga Journal
4 cups hot water
Juice of 1 lemon = 1/4 cup of lemon juice
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp of salt
Chill
Homemade Organic Sports Drink from Kitchen Table Medicine:
Organic fruit juice
Water or green tea
Organic sea salt
Fill your sports bottle with half juice and half water. Add a pinch of organic sea salt and shake.
Thanks to
for sending me the recipes from Yoga Journal and Kitchen Table Medicine.
