How to make your own Sports Drink

Even if you’re not exercising regularly you should be drinking 1.5 – 2 litres of water a day. Being even slightly dehydrated can seriously impact your performance and whilst water is the go-to choice for pure hydration, the extra elements in sports drinks will help keep you fresh and performing at your best whilst you exercise.

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Photo by Ketut Subiyanto:

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPORTS DRINKS AND WATER?

Sports drinks contain carbohydrate (CHO) in the form of glucose, a nutrient that helps to replenish glycogen stores. Water also doesn’t provide the body with sodium (salt), a key element that helps the body hold on to fluid to hydrate.

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HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SPORTS DRINK AT HOME

Sports drinks can easily be made at home and are much cheaper than buying commercial brands.

An isotonic drink could include:

1. 200ml of fruit squash

2. 800ml water

3. A pinch of salt

4. Mix together and cool in the fridge

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Photo by Allan Masㅤ

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TYPES OF SPORTS DRINKS

Commercial sports drinks are designed to offer you a combination of the fluids and salts you lose during exercise, and they come with a variety of descriptions.

Hypotonic: Contain a small amount of CHO (under 4%). This is lower than your blood plasma concentration and so they are relatively easy to absorb and digest

Isotonic: Contain 4-8% CHO and also some salts, which is similar to the concentration of the blood plasma, so these are a better choice for replacing fluids rapidly during prolonged exercise.

Hypertonic: Include a higher concentration of CHO at over 8%, but do not include salts, and are sometimes used for refuelling glycogen stores post exercise. They can also be used during endurance events, but should be combined with isotonic drinks to ensure salts are also replenished.

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Keen to learn more about fuelling for performance and adventures? Then check out our Nutrition category for more handy tips, advice and recipes.