Everyone who takes a little exercise that cause sweating whether a national Sports Star or Weekend Warrior, is drinking some kind of “sports” drink. People who do NO exercise are drinking sports drinks! If were working out on the field, the mat or in the hall for more than one hour, we may need to consider replenishing lost nutrients from an easy to take source and “sports drinks” are not so cheap today. That’s where the following homemade “sports” drinks come to the rescue. They do the job and are delicious as well. You can still fill your regular sports water bottle and no-one will know you made these at home, unless you want to brag about it.
Make your own sports drink
Sports drinks are easy to make from natural ingredients and are a lot cheaper than buying expensive bottles in shops.
All you need are a few ingredients and a little bit of imagination.
One of our Remedies for Sports Injuries is Meridian Ease.
There are three main types of sports drinks; isotonic, hypertonic and hypotonic.
Each drink serves a different purpose depending on what type of training you are doing.
Isotonic Drinks
Isotonic drinks are intended to quickly replace the fluids which are lost by sweating. They also provide an increase of carbohydrates. The body will use glucose as its main source of energy. Sometimes it is better to consume isotonic drinks where the carbohydrate source is a concentrated form of glucose. Isotonic drinks are frequently gulped by athletes, and all professional sportspeople use them in their daily training regimes.
An isotonic drink generally contains between 4g and 8g of sugar (carbohydrates) per 100ml and has about the same osmotic pressure as bodily fluids. An isotonic drink is taken up by the body about as quickly as water. They are intended to quench thirst and provide energy to the body.
Fruit Academy
To make your own you will need:
200ml ordinary fruit squash or cordial
Or freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1-2 oranges)
Or freshly squeezed lemon juice (about half lemon)
800ml water
A pinch of salt
Mix them all together in a jug and cool down in fridge.
Thirst Burst
To make your own you will need:
500ml unsweetened fruit juice (orange, apple, pineapple)
500ml water
Pinch of salt
Mix them all together in a jug and cool down in fridge.
Feelin’ fruity
To make your own you will need:
200ml of sugar free squash
50-70g sugar
Or 3 tablespoons of honey
One litre of warm water
Pinch of salt
Mix them all together in a jug, dissolve the sugar or honey and cool in fridge.
Hypertonic Drinks
Hypertonic drinks are used to supplement your daily carbohydrate intake. They contain even higher levels of carbohydrates than isotonic and hypotonic drinks.
The best time to drink them is after exercise as they help your body to top up on muscle glycogen stores. These are your valuable energy stores.
Great for long distance events such as marathons, where high levels of energy are required. Hypertonic drinks can also be taken during exercise to meet the energy requirements.
However, it is advisable to only use them during exercise alongside isotonic drinks to replace fluids.
Fruity Quencher
To make your own you will need:
400ml of ordinary fruit squash or cordial
Or freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2-3 oranges)
Or freshly squeezed lemon juice (about half lemon)
One litre of water
Pinch of salt
Mix, cool and drink
Hypotonic Drinks
Hypotonic are designed to quickly replaces fluids lost through sweating. Unlike isotonic and hypertonic drinks they are low in carbohydrates. They are very popular with athletes who need fluid without the boost of carbohydrate.
The best time to drink them is after a tough exercise work out as hypotonic drinks directly target the main cause of fatigue in sport – dehydration – by replacing water and energy fast.
Hypo Juice
To make your own you will need:
100ml of ordinary fruit squash or cordial
Or freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 orange)
Or freshly squeezed lime juice (about 50% lime)
One litre of water
Pinch of salt
Mix, cool and drink
James O'Sullivan - that's me, a people friendly practitioner and lecturer of Integrated Medicine, serving my patients, my students and the public with the positive benefits of both Conventional Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
It's a wonderful life
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or assess. The information provided is not to be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care practitioner.
