How to Make Your Own Healthy Sports Drink

Sports drinks — they’re colorful and yummy, and having them around can make you look like you’re a badass cyclist, runner, skier, basketball player or whatnot. Thanks to these bottled refreshments, keeping on the go while smack in the middle of a strenuous activity should not be a problem.

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Undeniably, sports drinks come with a host of pros. For instance, they are very good at replacing fluids and electrolytes lost after an intense workout, allowing the body to work as expected. Electrolytes such as potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium are vital most especially for muscle functioning and proper hydration.

Then sports drinks also conveniently supply the body with carbohydrates pronto because they are much easier to digest than solid food. Some of these brightly-colored beverages also contain impressive amounts of protein. It’s no wonder why a lot of athletes depend on sports drinks for maximum performance.

Sports drinks are also a blessing to those who find the taste of water blah — they come in an assortment of interesting flavors. Not everyone likes the taste of water. And even if you love water, it’s nice to have a change of pace once in a while. If you have to choose between sports drinks and soda, it’s obvious which one is the better choice.

But then there are also a few disadvantages to the intake of sports drinks. Did you know that most sports drinks on the market contain as much sugar as soda? While there are sugar-free variants these days, they contain artificial sweeteners which are frowned upon by health authorities due to their unfavorable health effects.

Some sports drinks also pack more caffeine than a cup of coffee, leaving you with jitteriness, heart palpitations and insomnia. Your pearly whites are also in danger as sports drinks can be very acidic! Without any shred of doubt, these acid-packed drinks are not ideal for those with acid reflux.

How can you maximize the pros of consuming sports drinks and eradicate the cons? By making your own sports drinks from scratch, that’s how! You will find it effortless to concoct homemade sports drinks — practically just as easy as grabbing a bottle of your favorite sports drinks at the supermarket. Here’s how it’s done:

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup of lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1/4 cup of orange juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons of honey (optional)
  • Water

Procedure:

  1. Grab a 24-oz water bottle.
  1. Place sea salt, lemon juice and orange juice in it. Worry not if lemon juice and orange juice are not available. Simply replace them with 1/2 cup of any fruit juice that you have around, but make sure it’s 100 percent natural.
  1. Add honey if you want a dash of sweetness.
  1. Fill the container with water and give it a good shake.

That’s how practically effortless it is to make your own sports drinks at home. There is no doubt that the homemade kinds are way cheaper than supermarket-bought ones, in particular those that are endorsed by highly popular athletes. Most especially if you’re a cost-conscious health buff, DIY is the way to go.

Sports drinks made in your very own kitchen do not contain excessive amounts of sugar, so guzzling them won’t flood your system with more calories than needed. Homemade sports drinks also do not contain caffeine — they are not going to leave you with anxiety and a racing heart, and they’re safe to consume later in the day.

However, experts say that taking sports drinks is only recommendable if you’re engaging in exhausting exercise or sports for at least 45 minutes. Otherwise, you are better off drinking plain water. 20 minutes of brisk walking? Take water! 60 minutes of intense Zumba? Go for homemade sports drinks, there’s no doubt!

 

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