Homemade Drink Mix?

[Lovetoclimb]

Someone on a ride this weekend mentioned briefly that they heard of people successfully making their own skratch labs / osmo nutrition style powder. Seems interesting in concept and I certainly have a lot of tools in my kitchen that may be utilized. Anyone seen or heard of this or have a recipe themselves?

After a few years of gatorade powder and experimenting briefly with Skratch Labs, I like the product but can not justify the high price right now.

[tiretrax]

Do a search. I came across one to substitute for Gatorade - much less sugar, but I don't remember where and didn't try it..

[CunegoFan]

20 grams maltodextrin
pinch of Morton Lite Salt
flavoring (Kool-Aid, Crystal Lite...)
16 oz. water
lemon juice/ascorbic acid/vitamin C if you want a little "bite"

or

50% apple juice, 50% water, pinch of Lite Salt

or

unsweetened green tea
honey to taste
pinch of Lite Salt

[tiretrax]

To my taste, the green tea is the most appealing of those. Apple juice is loaded with Fructose.

[unterhausen]

I use 1 part protein mix to 6 parts carb mix about 50/50 with water and it works well. In warm weather, I carry water too. I have a policy of always having water after I made myself sick drinking over-concentrated nuun.

[CunegoFan]

To my taste, the green tea is the most appealing of those. Apple juice is loaded with Fructose.

I like apple juice and the fructose does not bother me.

Really all you need is bulk maltodextrin, which can be bought for not much more than $50 for 50 pounds (that is like 5 cents per 20 gram bottle), and Morton Lite Salt for sodium and potassium. Add some flavoring if you really need it but unflavored is more palatable than the overly sweet stuff for extended periods of time.

[AnthonyC]

Lately I've started mixing my own sports drink: water, cane sugar, a pinch of salt, and the juice of freshly squeezed lemon. Probably not as good absorption-wise as something involving maltodextrin as well as sugar, but this is a) stuff that I always have in my house; and b) pennies on the dollar compared to the Skratch labs stuff. Tastes about the same as Skratch too.

[weiwentg]

I've used dilute Gatorade and a big pinch of salt. It seems to work all right.

[carpediemracing]

For poor African countries dehydration is a huge problem. A great way to make a balanced drink (salt/water) is to use a "Pinch of salt, a fist of sugar". The ratios are about right for a helpful electrolye + energy drink. THe pinch and fist works because you don't need any measuring cup and it works for any size hand as long as the same hand does the fist and the pinch.