How to Make Your Own Healthy Homemade Sports Drinks
Most sports drinks do what they advertise in the sense that they replenish electrolytes that are lost during strenuous activity. They also incorporate enough sodium to enhance rehydration. However, many commercial products also include things like caffeine, a lot of natural or artificial sweeteners, preservatives, dyes, emulsifiers and flavorings. You can make your own sports or energy drinks without all of these unnecessary or potentially-unhealthy additives, and end up with a product that is less expensive and more nutritious. Take a look at the sample recipes below, and see how easy it is to whip up a batch today.
Lemon-Lime with a Kick
8 cups of fresh water
¾ cup fresh orange juice (fresh squeezed is the best option)
2 juice from fresh squeezed lemons
2 juice from fresh squeezed limes
3 tablespoons of honey or sweetener of your choice (to taste)
½ teaspoon of sea salt
½ teaspoon of calcium magnesium powder or ground up supplements
¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
The first step is to add a cup of the water to a saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Add the honey, salt, cayenne pepper and powder. Stir until everything is blended and dissolved evenly. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Once cooled, add the lemon, lime and orange juice to the stockpot and stir before adding the remaining water and stirring some more. Pour into a pitcher, refrigerate, and you’re good to go. All you need to do is fill individual drink bottles or simply pour the drink into cups when ready to consume.
Workout Booster
3 ½ cups of cold water
¼ cup of hot water
¼ cup of fresh orange juice (fresh squeezed or non-concentrated)
¼ cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
¼ teaspoon of sea salt
Pour the hot water (just below boiling point) into a pitcher and add the sugar and salt. Stir until everything has dissolved. All you need to do is add the orange and lemon juice along with the cold water. Give the pitcher a good shake or stir, refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour, and you’re good to go. This will give you a fast carb boost while also helping with rehydration while working out.
Maple Syrup Drink
4 cups of cold water
¼ cup of real, original and fresh maple syrup (no sugar added)
¼ teaspoon of salt
All you need to do is combine the ingredients into a pitcher or container, give it a good stir or shake and refrigerate. The maple syrup contains good sugars along with other nutrients that can benefit the body during strenuous activity. While this may not seem that appetizing as a drink, it is surprisingly-tasty and refreshing.
The list of possibilities are endless when it comes to experimenting with different drink recipes, and there are literally hundreds of them online. The key to their success lies in the salt/sugar/water combination that is essential to delivering water to cells. While we normally get enough salt in our daily diet, salt and sugar are an important combination when engaging in physical exertion when electrolytes are lost during sweat. It’s also important to consume the drinks right away in order to get the most of their nutritional value. Try making your own drinks, because chances are that you will experience a nice energy boost while also avoiding the crash that often comes after consuming commercial products.
