Making your own sports drink is cheap, easy, and effective. Hypotonic drinks are absorbed faster than plain water, helping maintain hydration during exercise, and this recipe requires only three ingredients.
Ingredients
- 450 ml water
- ⅛ teaspoon (~0.7 g) table salt
- 50 ml cordial (undiluted squash concentrate)
Procedure
- Transfer the water to a clean container, such as a measuring jug.
- Stir in the salt until fully dissolved, then mix in the cordial. Stir thoroughly until evenly mixed.
- Chill the mixture in the fridge until cool.
- Pour into a clean sports bottle or thermos flask and sip gradually during exercise.
Notes, tips, and variations
- Make sure the cordial (squash concentrate) has enough sugar. Ideally, it should provide around 10–11 g of carbohydrates per 25 ml. This ensures the final drink is at the correct hypotonic concentration for effective hydration during exercise.
- Only make what you intend to use within the same day. Sweetened cordial solutions are more stable than fresh fruit drinks, but for safety and taste, store in an airtight sealed container (preferably glass) in the fridge and consume within 48 hours.
- It is fine to store this in a conventional sports bottle if you intend to drink it all within 2 hours. For longer periods, a sports thermos flask bottle is recommended; it can keep the drink cool for up to 12 hours. Ideally pre-chill your thermos flask with ice and cold water before filling.
- Residues can attract bacteria over time. After drinking, ensure to wash your bottle or flask with warm soapy water and a bottle brush to prevent bacterial overgrowth.
- The drink can also be frozen in ice cube trays for up to 2–3 months and thawed or made into a slushy when needed.