How to Make Your Own Sports Drink, And Stay Stronger Longer

The sports drink market is cluttered and confusing. The good news is, a little DIY carbs is not just possible; it is easy.


By Selene Yeager |

Sure, a prepackaged sports drink mix is convenient, but there are times—when you’re short on supplies or experiencing stomach issues—when you may want to consider a different option. The good news: There’s one that is scientifically proven to work just as well as, if not better than, your standard sports drink: sugar water.

In a sports drink study published in American Journal of Physiology—Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers had 14 endurance-trained male cyclists drink either a sucrose (table sugar) drink or a glucose drink before and during a three-hour ride in a blind study. Two weeks later, they did it again, only this time switching beverages. Each time, the researchers used an imaging technique called magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to monitor how much glycogen the riders had stored in their livers and muscles before and after riding. They also drew blood samples to check glucose and lactate levels and captured some exhaled-breath samples to measure their oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. Riders reported how they felt, including their energy levels, fatigue, and/or GI comfort or discomfort.

In the end, both drinks helped preserve liver glycogen levels, and muscle glycogen dropped no matter which drink they used. However, overall carb-burning was higher with the sucrose beverage, and the riders reported feeling less fatigued and had fewer incidents of GI discomfort when they were drinking it during their long ride. So though both drinks worked, the sucrose sweetened one helped them feel and perform a bit better.

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“Sucrose can provide the necessary carbohydrate during exercise to prevent a drop in blood glucose, which is really the reason you’re taking in fuel for prolonged activity,” says Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, a sports nutritionist at Pittsburgh based company Active Eating Advice and co-author of Bike Your Butt Off. “A mix of carbohydrate, like sucrose, which is actually two sugars—glucose plus fructose—may be more efficiently used by your muscles during exercise than a single source such as glucose,” she says. That’s because each sugar has specific transporters in the intestines, and once one type’s transporters become saturated, you can’t absorb any more of that type until they become available again, and they can only absorb so much per hour.

Sugar water is not fancy but can be as effective, and if you add a couple of shakes of salt you have a drink that’s comparable to a sports drink at a fraction of the cost.

Of course, this was a small study, and the flavor won’t be as finely tuned or interesting as your favorite sports drink, which isn’t a small deal: When you like the taste of something, you’re more likely to drink what you need to stay hydrated. There are also no electrolytes in the mix, unless you add them. But that, too, is well within your grasp, says Bonci. And it’s really cost effective.

“The carbohydrate is the cheapest part of the sports drink,” she says. “We pay for the bottle, added flavors, and any number of added ingredients. Sugar water is not fancy but can be as effective, and if you add a couple of shakes of salt you have a drink that’s comparable to a sports drink at a fraction of the cost.”

Shake-and-Go Sports Drink Recipes

These recipes below offer the easiest and quickest mixes. Just fill up your bottle with water, add the other ingredients, shake well, and go! Feel free to adjust the sweetness and saltiness to your liking or needs.


Short & Sweet

The most basic sports drink of the bunch, you can use this recipe on it’s own or as a base to get creative with your own concoction.

  • bottle of water
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Lemon-Lime Delight

With a minute of preparation the night before, you can have a tasty sports drink base ready to roll when you are, says Bonci. “Infuse water with any fruit flavor you prefer by slicing the fruit into a pitcher of water and letting it sit overnight,” she says. Citrus fruits such as lemons and limes provide a refreshing flavor boost for any season.

  • Bottle of lemon and lime infused water
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Tropical Blend

  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 1 cup coconut water (good for extra potassium)
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Makes about one litre


Taste of Honey

  • 3 ½ cups water
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon honey
  • ¼ cup pineapple juice

Makes about one litre


Maple Sports Drink

This easy-to-make, maple syrup-flavored recipe is delicious and settles well because it is not acidic, says recipe developer and author Nancy Clark, R.D. “When you are working out for more than an hour, enjoy this all-natural sports beverage to energize your workouts,” she says.

  • 3 ¾ cups cold water
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Makes just over a litre

Pro Tip: Maple syrup is also a tasty alternative to energy gels. Put some in a small flask and take nips during extended exercise.


More Flavour-Packed Sports Drink Recipes

These recipes below are a little more time-intensive to make, but they’re well worth the effort.


“Greaterade”

When the Golden State Warriors decided to ban commercial sports drinks and started making their own with Himalayan sea salt, John Mitzewich (also known as Chef John) of FoodWishes was inspired to try his own—with less sugar. “You can tweak this recipe to create your perfect formula,” he says.

  • 8 cups fresh cold water
  • 3 tablespoons honey or other sweetener to taste
  • ½ teaspoon fine Himalayan pink salt, sea salt (or any pure salt)
  • ¾ teaspoon calcium magnesium powder
  • Pinch of cayenne
  • ¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • juice of 2 limes

1. Pour 1 cup of water into a large pot.
2. Add honey, salt, calcium-magnesium powder, and cayenne.
3. Place pot over low heat and whisk until ingredients have dissolved.
4. Remove from heat and allow to return to room temperature.
5. Add juices to room temperature mixture in pot.
6. Pour in remaining 7 cups water and whisk until well blended.

Makes about nine cups


Workout Punch

This tangy, sweet punch courtesy of Rodale’s Organic Life has just enough carbs to keep you fueled, while the water-sodium combination enhances hydration.

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup hot water
  • ¼ cup orange juice (not concentrate)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 ½ cups cold water

1. Dissolve sugar and salt in the bottom of a pitcher of hot water.
2. Add juices and remaining water.
3. Chill for 30 minutes.

Makes about 32 ounces


Watermelon-Mint Slushy

Research shows that cooling your core with an ice-cold sports drink before exerting yourself in the heat can make hard rides in high temperatures more comfortable and help prevent overheating. As a bonus, the star player in this fruity slushy is watermelon—which is brimming with the antioxidant lycopene to protect your skin from UV damage, as well as anthocyanins to help tame inflammation.

  • 2 cups ice cubes
  • 1 cup seltzer or flat water
  • 1 cup cubed watermelon
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
  • 1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey
  • Juice of ½ lemon

1. In a blender, pulse the ice to the size of pebbles.
2. Add the water, watermelon, mint, agave, and lemon juice.
3. Pulse a few times until slushy.

Makes just over a litre


Iced Green-Ginger-Mint Tea

Sometimes a ride is just a ride. And when you’re going out for a simple spin, a simple beverage is in order. We like this zingy green tea for just that occasion. It’s naturally loaded with flavour and high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, while being low in calories. Mint has also been shown to provide mental energy during exercise. You can add as much or as little honey as you’d like.

  • 3 cups cold water
  • 3 bags green tea
  • 2 slices of lemon
  • 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and mashed
  • 2 sprigs of mint
  • Dash of honey simple syrup (2 to 3 tablespoons honey mixed with 2 to 3 tablespoons boiling water)

1. Add everything to your pitcher, pour in cold water, and let sit for a few hours. (Sun is great, but not necessary, while it steeps.)
2. Pour over ice or refrigerate until chilled.

Makes about 750ml

READ MORE ON: fluids hydration nutrition sports drinks

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