A Healthier, DIY Sports Drink

All of the hydration without any of the processed ingredients or extra sugar—that’s what makers of their own sports drinks claim about their concoctions. Want to create your own form of Gatorade for some all-natural beverage goodness?

What makes homemade sports drinks different than gulping on a bottle of Gatorade? They have electrolytes to hydrate your body. Depending on what you make the drink with, it will not have processed ingredients, artificial sweeteners, added sugars, or food dyes. Whether you’re healing up from a stomach bug or want to stay hydrated while you are working out, making your own sports drink is relatively easy.

Want to make your own Gatorade-like drink, packed with electrolytes? Here’s what you need to do it yourself

1. Choose a salt.

Any unrefined sea salt will do. This is what helps your body stay hydrated. If you have any health-related concerns about adding salt to your beverage, talk to your doctor.Sodium and potassium are known electrolytes. Check out a few recipes online to get an idea of how much salt to add, and the ratio of it compared to other ingredients.

2. Pick a citrus.

Fresh lemons, limes, oranges, or any combination of the three! The freshly pressed juice not only adds flavor, but also contains important vitamins, enzymes, and easily digestible sugars to help maintain energy during a workout and speed recovery afterwards. Your sports drink will stay fresh in the fridge for about four days when using freshly pressed juice.

3. Add water.

Water, of course, is a must here. Choose regular filtered water, or experiment with coconut water for enhanced taste. Some people also say coconut water hydrates better and use that instead of water, or in addition to it.

4. Go sweet.

Some recipe developers swear by honey or agave syrup as a natural way to sweeten the mixture and avoid adding sugar.

5. Prepare your power punch.

Some recipes call for you to combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan so the honey can dissolve evenly and provide the sweetness that would otherwise be added in commercially processed drinks. Other recipes for DIY Gatorade say you can just combine the ingredients without heating them. However you do this, just serve the drink at room temperature or, better yet, cold.

It may take some experimenting, but it’s true—you can make your own hydrating sports drink without a lot of added ingredients that you don’t want in your body!