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Have you ever wondered how to make your own sports drinks? My son has played almost every sport available in our community. Whether he’s kicking goals in soccer, tackling the opposing team in football or practicing his signature moves in wrestling, one thing he always asks for at the end of the game is a sports drink. Sometimes as a mom, it’s easier to give in on some things and pick your battles. I’ve been giving him money to pick up a sports drink along with some of his friends. As I hear more and more about the dangerous ingredients in things like Gatorade, I have decided it time to learn to make your own sports drinks.
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Make Your Own Sports Drinks
I know that sports drinks are more than just juice or water. There is a real reason that athletes pick a sports drink after a hard work out. Sports drinks contain electrolytes. I’m far from a scientist so this is a busy mom’s understanding of what a sports drink does. First some basic biology. Your kidneys regulate electrolytes and fluids and make (for lack of a better word) urine. They filter the bad stuff out of your body. When you’re dehydrated, your kidneys keep as much water as possible in your body and make your urine more concentrated. And, when you’re hydrated, your kidneys let out more water.
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When you work out, you sweat and you lose electrolytes and fluids. One of the major electrolytes you lose is sodium. That is why your sweat tastes salty. When you don’t have enough fluids and electrolytes, your muscles suffer and this impacts an athlete’s performance. Sports drinks contain electrolytes (sodium) along with sugar (carbohydrates) and water. The water and sodium go to replacing the electrolytes and fluids lost during exercise and the sugar provides a burst of energy.
From everything that I read, unless you are getting a good sustained work out in that is longer than 45 to 60 minutes, regular water works just fine to rehydrate you. More than 45-60 minutes of a good workout, make your own sports drinks. Sports drinks were never intended to be used as a regular beverage and can result in weight gain given the amount of sugar.
Why make your own sports drinks?
Popular sports drinks contain high fructose corn syrup and artificial food dyes like red 40 and blue 1. Learning to make your own sports drinks will allow you to eliminate these harmful ingredients. I made an orange flavor sports drink since that’s one of the most popular in my house. You could easily make different flavors by juicing different fruits. For the healthiest version, start with organic, fresh fruits. This is a great homemade sports drink for runners.
Ellen Christian
Yields 2
15 minPrep Time
15 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime, grapefruit or lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange, tangerine or Halo mandarin juice
- 2 cups of water
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp organic sugar or raw honey
Instructions
- Shake all ingredients in a jar. Store in the refrigerator.
This recipe makes two sports drinks. Store each in the refrigerator in a jar with a lid and shake before drinking. Use within a week. You could make a larger batch ahead of time if you want to.
Ellen is a busy mom of a 22-year-old son and 27-year-old daughter. She owns 5 blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
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